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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.

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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.
• 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.
  • anamponsah120@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Sat, 22 Nov 2008 09:26:29 +0000
Subject: Please Read

I am Mr.Andrew Amponsah Former Accountant of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs Ghana and now member with the Ghanaian diplomatic mission to the United
Kingdom; my office monitors and controls the affairs of all banks and Financial
institutions in Ghana concerned with foreign contract payments. I am the final
signatory to any transfer or remittance of huge funds moving within banks both
on the local and international levels in line to foreign contracts settlement.
I have before me list of funds, which could not be transferred to some
nominated accounts as these accounts have been identified either as ghost
accounts, unclaimed deposits and over-invoiced sum etc. I can now include your
name among the people expecting the funds to be transferred into their account,
on this note; I wish to have a deal with you as regards to this unpaid funds. I
have all the files before me and hope to fix your data's correctly once i hear
from you as one of the beneficiaries.
As it is my duty to recommend the transfer of these surplus funds to the
Federal Government Treasury and Reserve Accounts as unclaimed deposits, I have
the opportunity to write you based on this instructions,
I received two days ago from the parliamentary Committee on Contract
Payments/Foreign Debts to submit the List of payment reports/expenditures and
audited reports of revenues. Among several others, I have decided to remit your
contract sum following my idea that we have a deal/agreement and I am going to
do this legally.
Please reply to my email below.
Email: anamponsah120@yahoo.com.hk
Regards,
Andrew Amponsah

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam