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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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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "please indicate your interest" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "it will be a bank to bank transfer" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
  • "there are practically no risks involved" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • @rocketmail.com

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: mrostermmili2006@hotmail.com
Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2008 16:19:49 +0700 (ICT)
Subject: Mr.Oster Mmili Business Transaction,

From: Mr.Oster Mmili,
Branch Manager,
Continental Trust Bank
57 Independence Avenue
North Ridge, Cantonments
Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire,
West Africa.

Dear Friend,

I write you this proposal in good faith. I am 58 years old married with two lovely kids. I am a devoted Christian, honest and honorable.I have packaged a financial transaction that will benefit you and me, as the regional manager of the Continental Trust Bank it is my duty to send in a financial report to my head office in the capital city Yamoussoukro at the end of each business year. On the course of the last year 2007 business report, I discovered that my branch,in which I am, the manager made USD$20.680.000 (Twenty million. six hundred and eighty thousand united state dollars)

which my head office are not aware of and will never be aware of. I have placed this funds on what we call escrow call account with no beneficiary. As an officer of this bank I cannot be directly connected to this money, so my aim of contacting you is to assist me receive this money in your bank account and get 30% of the total funds as commission.

I am also willing to invest my own part of the money into any moving business in your country after the accomplishment of this project.There are practically no risks involved, it will be a bank to bank transfer, and all I need from you is to stand claim as the original depositor of these funds who made the deposit with my branch so that my head office can order the transfer to your designated bank account.

I will appreciate it if you are willing to work with in this project. Mail me if you think we can work together so that we can go over the details.Thank you in advance and May God bless you and your family.

Please indicate your interest in coming into partnership with me by providing me with your full information, you have to keep everything secret as to enable the transfer to move very smoothly in to the account you will prove to the bank. As you finished reading this letter writh me immediately so that we discuss very well over this business.

Respectfully,

Mr.Oster Mmili,

---------------------------------
อยากได้เบอร์เมลสุดโปรด!
จองได้เลยที่ @ymail.com และ @rocketmail.com


---------------------------------
Yahoo! แจกเบอร์เมลใหม่
หาชื่อเมลสุดเลิฟที่โดนใจ ที่เมล @ymail และ @rocketmail.
รีบจองก่อนจะโดนตัดหน้า!

---------------------------------
เบอร์เมลโดนๆ!
หาชื่อเมลสุดเลิฟที่โดนใจ ที่เมล @ymail และ @rocketmail.
รีบจองก่อนจะโดนตัดหน้า!

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam