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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "huge amount of money" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • ",500,000" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "00,000.00" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "utmost confidentiality" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "observe utmost confidentiality" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "chief auditor" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "lome togo" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
  • sabah_ahmad1@rediffmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "amed banker" <sabaamed3@norilsk.biz>
Date: Sat, 6 Sep 2008 16:51:44 +0100
Subject: YOUR URGENT ATTENTION IS NEEDED


Mr. SABAH AHMAD
ECOWAS BANK AUDITING MANAGER
TEL 00228 986 88 25
Private email sabah_ahmad1@rediffmail.com

Attention !!!

I am Mr. SABAH AHMAD ECOWAS BANK AUDITING MANAGER Lome TOGO
The Chief Auditor/Information manager,In-Charge of Foreign Unit Ecowas Bank
Togo. I have had the intent to contact you over this financial
transaction/transfer,i got your contact through your profile i believed that
you will be capable for this transfer.

This message might meet you in utmost surprise however,it's just my urgent
need for a foreign partner that made me contact you for this transaction,I
am a
banker by profession from Lome REPUBLIC OF Togo in west Africa and currently
holding the post of auditing general,I have the opportunity of transfering
the
left over funds which I was opportuned to see the deceased deposit file
bearing
this huge amount of money when i was inspecting the dated and current
customers
files in other to sign and submit to the entire bank management for an
official
validation / re-documentation against the statement approval to the account
holders for the year. In a swift investigation carried out by me

RE: TRANSFER OF ($39,500.000.00 USD THIRTY NINE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED
THOUSAND
DOLLARS)

I want to transfer to overseas the sum of ($39,500.000..00USD) Thirty Nine
Million Five Hundred Thousand UnitedStates Dollars) from Ecowas Bank OF Togo
West in Africa.

I am the Auditing information manager to Ecowas Bank Lome-Togo and personal
confidant to Mr Christian Eich. who died together with his wife and two
children in a plane crash and his wife's parents where also involved.

Mr Christian Eich, is an Engineer he died without having any beneficiary to
his assets including his account here in Lome Togo which he opened in the
year
2000 as his personal savings for the purpose of expansion and developement
of
his company before his untimely death on the 25 of july 2006.

I was opportuned to see the deceased deposit file bearing this huge amount
of
money when i was inspecting the dated and current customers files in other
to
sign and submit to the entire bank managementfor an official validation /
re-documentation against the statement approval to the account holders for
the
year. In a swift investigation carried out by me,I would like to ask you to
quietly look for a reliable and honest person who will be capable and fit to
provide either an existing bank account or to set up a new Bank a/c
immediately
to receive this money, even an empty a/c can serve as far as it can receive
money.

Now the main reason i contact you is that the Ecowas Bank presdent have
informed me and have made it officials of my retirement because of my age,so
i
want to use this opportunity to get this fund transferred before my
retirement
because the next person that will be appointed as the Auditing manager here
in Ecowas bank will embezzle this funds if i did not act wisly hoping you
understand the points? So the amount involved is (USD 39,500,000.00)Thirty
Nine Million Five Hundred Thousand USD, no other person knows about this
account.


I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money can not be
approved
to a local person here, without valid international foreign passport, but
can
only be approved to any foreigner with valid international passport or
drivers
license and foreign account because the money is in US Dollars and the owner
of the a/c MrChristian Eich was a foreigner, the money can only be approved
into a foreign a/c.


I need your full co-operation to make this work fine because the management
is
ready to approve this payment to any foreigner who has correct information
of
this account, which I will give to you, upon your positive response and once
I
am convinced that you are capable to set up an account for this fund.



At the conclusion of this business, you will be given 40% of the total
amount,60% will be for me, while i will be backing you up with my position
here
in the bank and also with the relevant documentation proofs you are covered
as
the beneficiary.

You should observe utmost CONFIDENTIALITY AND SECRECY in this transaction,
and
rest assured that this transaction would be most profitable for both of us
because I will require your assistance to invest my share in your country.

I look forward to your prompt response.please

Sincerely,

Mr. SABAH AHMAD
ECOWAS BANK AUDITING MANAGER
TEL 00228 986 88 25
For security Contact me on my Private email sabah_ahmad1@rediffmail.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam