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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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• 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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "hundred thousand united states dollars" (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)
  • "very confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +23418044861 (Nigeria, landline)
• 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.
  • drphillipmensah@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • 3adrphillipmensah@hotmail.com

Fraud email example:

From: "DR. PHILLIP MENSAH" <drphillipmensah9@gmail.com>
Reply-To: dr.philmensah@hotmail.com
Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:57:17 +0100
Subject: From the desk of: Dr.Phillip Mensah


>From the desk of: Dr.Phillip Mensah

TEL: 234-1-8044861

DEAR SIR,

STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL

WE ARE MEMBERS OF A SPECIAL COMMITTEE FOR BUDGET AND PLANNING OF THE
NIGERIAN NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION (NNPC) THIS COMMITTEE IS
PRINCIPALLY CONCERNED WITH CONTRACT AWARDS AND APPROVAL. WITH OUR
POSITIONS, WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY SECURED FOR OURSELVES THE SUM OF
SIXTEEN MILLION, FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS
(US$16.5M) THIS AMOUNT WAS CAREFULLY MANIPULATED BY OVER-INVOICING OF
AN OLD CONTRACT.

BASED ON INFORMATION GATHERED ABOUT YOU, WE BELIEVE YOU WOULD BE IN A
POSITION TO HELP US IN TRANSFERRING THIS FUND (US$16.5M) INTO A SAFE
ACCOUNT, THAT HAS BEEN AGREED THAT THE OWNER OF THE ACCOUNT WILL BE
COMPENSATED WITH 30% OF THE REMITTED FUNDS, WHILE WE KEEP 60% AND 10%
WILL BE SET ASIDE TO OFF SET EXPENSES AND PAY THE NECESSARY TAXES.

ALL MODALITIES OF THIS TRANSACTION HAVE BEEN WORKED OUT AND ONCE
STARTED WILL NOT TAKE MORE THAN 10 WORKING DAYS, WITH YOUR FULL
SUPPORT THIS TRANSACTION IS 100% RISK FREE.

IF THIS PROPOSAL SATISFIES YOU, PLEASE REACH US ONLY BY EMAIL OR
PHONE, FOR MORE INFORMATION. IT MIGHT BE DIFFICULT TO GET THROUGH TO
ME, BECAUSE OF POOR TELECOMMUNICATION SYSTEM HERE PLEASE KEEP TRYING;
YOU WILL DEFINITELY GET THROUGH PLEASE TREAT AS URGENT AND VERY
CONFIDENTIAL.

YOURS FAITHFULLY,

Dr.Phillip Mensah

TEL: 234-1-8044861

Email:drphillipmensah@hotmail.com <Email%3Adrphillipmensah@hotmail.com>

NB.: FOR CONFIDENTIAL REASONS AND DUE TO THE POOR COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
IN MY COUNTRY, MOST OFFTEN FOREIGN CALLS COULD BE DIVERTED TO THE
WRONG PERSON. SO FOR YOU TO BE VERY SURE YOU ARE RIGHTLY SPEAKING WITH
ME, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WHEN YOU CALL AND ASK FOR ME, THE MOMENT
I PICK UP THE PHONE, YOU SHOULD ASK ME FOR THE "CODE WORD" AND MY
ANSWER WOULD BE "SUCCESS" BEFORE WE PROCEED DISCUSSIONS, BUT IF I DO
NOT SAY "SUCCESS" THAT MEANS YOU ARE NOT SPEAKING WITH ME JUST
DISCONNECT THE LINE AND CALL ME BACK TILL I GIVE YOU THE CODE WORD.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam