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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.

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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.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
  • "i have a new email address!" (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
• 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.
  • douglaosei@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: douglas.osei@hotmail.com
Date: Tue, 2 Dec 2008 04:55:43 -0800 (PST)
Subject: URGENT ATTENTION


I have a new email address!You can now email me at: douglaosei@yahoo.com



- Dear Friend,My name is Mr. Douglas Osei. I am the regional manager of Standard Charterd Bank of Ghana Kumasi branch in the Ashanti region of Ghana. I got your contact when I was searching for an overseas partner to assist me.I write you this Letter in good faith I am 45 years old married with two lovely kids. I have packaged a transaction that will benefit you and I as the branch manager of the Standard Charterd Bank; it is my duty to send a report to my head office in the capital city of (Accra Ghana) at the end of each year business.On the course of last two years 2006 business report, I discovered that my branch in which I am the manager made five million seven hundred and twenty thousand united state dollars which my head office are not aware of and will never be aware of it.I have deposited this fund on what we call (escrow) call account with no beneficiary. As the branch manager of this bank I cannot be directly connected to this money, so my contacting you to this t!
ransaction is to assist me receive this fund in your bank account and get 30% of the total fund as your own share.If you agree to assist me, I will immediately program your full information in the computer system here in my own branch as an account owner in Standard Charterd Bank of Ghana. It will be a bank-to-bank transfer, and all I need from you is to stand and claim as the original depositor of these fund who made the deposit in my branch so that my head office will immediately order the transfer to your designated bank account.If you accept to work with me I will appreciate it very much.Thank you in advance as you co-operates with me and God bless you.Yours Truly,Mr. Douglas Osei

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam