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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "may come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "contact me immediately" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
• 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.
  • gfhuftuy@hotmail.fr
  • am6032@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • ahmedmahama1@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "ahmed mahama" <ahmedmahama5@gmail.com>
Reply-To: am6032@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:41:27 +0100
Subject: TRUSTING TO HEAR FROM YOU IMMEDIATELY.


FROM THE DESK OF MR AHMED MAHAMA MUSTAFA
*BILL AND EXCHANGE MANAGER,
BANK OF GHANA
ACCRA GHANA
WEST AFRICA.

DEAR FRIEND* <gfhuftuy@hotmail.fr>


*I KNOW THAT THIS LETTER MAY COME TO YOU AS A SURPRISE,I GOT YOUR CONTACT
ADDRESS FROM THE GHANA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WHILE I WAS SEARCHING FOR
SOMEBODY THAT HAS SIMILAR NAME WITH OUR DECEASED CUSTOMER.

I AM THE MANAGER OF BILL AND EXCHANGE BANK OF GHANA (B.O.G) AT FOREIGN
REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT .THERE IS A BUSINESS I WOULD WANT YOU TO CHAMPION FOR
**ME.IN* <http://me.in/>* MY DEPARTMENT WE DISCOVERED AN ABANDONED SUM OF ($
16.500.000 U.S) SIXTEEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSANDS US DOLLARS) . IN AN
ACCOUNT THAT BELONGS TO ONE OF OUR FOREIGN CUSTOMER WHO DIED ALONG WITH HIS
ENTIRE FAMILY IN 11TH SEPTEMBER 2003 IN A PLANE CRASH. *

*SINCE WE GOT INFORMATION ABOUT HIS DEATH, WE HAVE BEEN EXPECTING HIS NEXT
OF KIN TO COME OVER AND CLAIM HIS MONEY BECAUSE WE CANNOT
RELEASE IT UNLESS SOMEBODY APPLIES FOR IT AS NEXT OF KIN OR RELATION TO THE
DECEASED, AS INDICATED IN OUR BANKING GUIDELINES, BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE
LEARNT THAT ALL HIS SUPPOSED NEXT OF KIN'S OR RELATION DIED ALONG SIDE WITH
HIM IN THE PLANE CRASH LEAVING NOBODY BEHIND FOR THE CLAIM.

IT IS THEREFORE UPON THIS DISCOVERY THAT I NOW DECIDED TO MAKE THIS
BUSINNESS PROPOSAL TO YOU AND RELEASE THE MONEY TO YOU AS THE NEXT OF KIN OR
RELATION TO THE DECEASED FOR SAFETY AND SUBSEQUENT DISBURSEMENT SINCE NOBODY
IS COMING FOR IT AND I DONT WANT THIS MONEY TO GO INTO THE BANK TREASURY AS
UNCLAIMED BILL.

THE BANKING LAW AND GUIDELINE HERE STIPULATES THAT IF SUCH MONEY REMAINED
UNCLAIMED AFTER SIX YEARS, THE MONEY WILL BE TRANSFERED INTO THE BANK
TREASURY AS UNCLAIMED FUND.*

*THE REQUEST OF FOREIGNER AS NEXT OF KIN IN THIS BUSINESS IS OCCASIONED BY
THE FACT THAT THE CUSTOMER WAS A FOREIGNER AND A GHANIAN CANNOT STAND AS
NEXT OF KIN TO A FOREIGNER. I AGREED THAT 20 % OF THIS MONEY WILL BE FOR YOU
AS FOREIGN PARTNER, IN RESPECT TO THE PROVISION OF A FOREIGN ACCOUNT, AND 10
% WILL BE SET ASIDE FOR EXPENSES INCURED DURING THE BUSINESS AND 70 % WOULD
BE FOR ME.

THERE AFTER I WILL VISIT YOUR COUNTRY FOR DISBURSEMENT ACCORDING TO THE
PERCENTAGES INDICATED. THEREFORE TO ENABLE THE IMMEDIATE TRANSFER OF THIS
FUND TO YOU AS ARRANGED,YOU MUST APPLY FIRST TO THE BANK AS RELATIONS OR
NEXT OF KIN OF THE DECEASED INDICATING YOUR BANK NAME, YOUR BANK ACCOUNT
NUMBER, YOUR PRIVATE TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBER FOR EASY AND EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION AND LOCATION WHERE IN THE MONEY WILL BE REMITTED.*

*ALL MODALITIES OF THIS TRANSACTION HAVE BEEN CAREFULLY WORKED OUT AND ONCE
STARTED WILL NOT TAKE MORE THAN FOURTEEN(14) WORKING DAYS, WITH YOUR FULL
SUPPORT. THIS TRANSACTION IS 100% RISK **FREE.IT* <http://free.it/>* INVOLVE
NO ANY IMPLICATION AND NO ANY PRECAUTION THERE AFTER.UPON RECEIPT OF YOUR
REPLY, I WILL SEND TO YOU BY FAX OR EMAIL THE TEXT OF THE APPLICATION.*

*I WILL NOT FAIL TO BRING TO YOUR NOTICE THAT THIS TRANSACTION IS HITCH FREE
AND THAT YOU SHOULD NOT ENTERTAIN ANY ATOM OF FEAR AS ALL REQUIRED
ARRANGEMENTS HAS BEEN MADE FOR THE TRANSFER. YOU SHOULD CONTACT ME
IMMEDIATELY AS SOON AS YOU RECEIVE THIS LETTER.*

*Contact ADDRESS AND Email.

**am6032@gmail.com*<http://us.mc461.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=ahmedmahama1@yahoo.com>
*TEL:+233-24-2969-280.
FAX:+233-20-5874-17.
HOME ADDRESS: 124 LEGON ACHIMOTA ROAD.
ACCRA GHANA P.O.BOX 7984 ACCRA.
WEST AFRICAN. *

*TRUSTING TO HEAR FROM YOU IMMEDIATELY.*

*YOURS FAITHFULLY,
MR AHMED MAHAMA MUSTAFA
BILL AND EXCHANGE MANAGER,
BANK OF GHANA*


**

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam