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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:
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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:
  • "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "trunk box" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "keep it confidential" (they don't want anyone to point out to you that this is a scam)
• 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.
  • mariamkatanga_472000@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Mrs.MARIAM KATANGA. <mariam_katanga472000@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: mariamkatanga_472000@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2006 23:16:59 +0400
Subject: FROM Mrs.MARIAM KATANGA.


My Dear
Please I am contacting you as I saw your address in Internet while seaching for a reputable and honest person or firm in Australia,Asia,Europe & America that i can invest and partnership with,but pardon and forgive me for this breach of protocol as I do not know how to personally communicate with you.I know this letter will come to you as a surprise; but this letter is borne out of my desire to establish this mutual business relationship with you,please keep it confidential!I am Mrs.MARIAM KATANGA,from South Africa. I am a widow being that I lost my husband,MR.STEPHEN KATANGA In a couple of years ago. My husband was a serving director of the Cocoa exporting board until his death. He was assassinated on August 2003 by the rebels following the political uprising.

Before his death he deposited the sum of $8.5M Eight Million five hundred thousand USD in a private security Company.which was for the importation of cocoa processing machines. Note, according to my late husband the money is in a trunk box and he did not disclose to the security company the real content of the box he did it to reduce the cost of demurrage fees and for the safety of the fund according to him, he declared to the security company that the box contains a family valuables.I want you to do me a favour, to help me invest this fund in a profitable investment in your country as I do no have any knowledge of investment,that will be after we retrieve it from the security company.

For your efforts,you shall either choose to receive 30% of the total fund or go into equal partnership investment with me in your country. This is my reason for writing to you. Please if you are willing to assist me and my only son , indicate your interest in replying soonest.May God bless you for your kindness rendered to me.

Please if you are interested to assist me in this transaction,Kindly send me this
1. Your name in full.
2. Contact address.
3. Marital Status.
4. Area of specialization.
5. Position held in office.
6. Nationality.
7. Tel/fax numbers

For more details information,you can contact me direct through this Email address .mariamkatanga_472000@yahoo.com
I would appreciate confidentiality and honesty in our correspondence.Your immediate response will be highly wecomed.
Thanks and best regards.
Mrs.MARIAM KATANGA.
(For the Family)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam