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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:
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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "MatePal" <matepal@matepal.com> (may be fake)
Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2007 03:01:09 -0400
Subject: MESSAGE: Hello!

You have just received a message from Geo.Beware of scams and never send anyone money.--Dear Friend,Pleas e allow me to intimate you with a transaction that would be of immense benefit to both of us. My name is George Kouame, I am the director of the project and engineering division of SODECI (Société de distribution d'eau de Côte d'Ivoire) I am looking for a reliable person who can assist me in the claim of Sixteen Million Euros. This amount to be claimed was realised from over-invoiced contract amount awarded by us in 2004 to expatriate companies. This Contract's Amount was deliberately overestimated to read more than the actual cost of the project thus leaving a surplus of ***teen Million euros. However, as a staff of SODECI I can not claim this money without a foreign partner who will act as the executed contract beneficiary and as such, entitled to receive the funds. This is why I am contacting you to allow this money to be transferred into your account and to be my custodian for the money.As a civil servant I can no longer handle this transaction from this stage without a foriegn partner to support me. Therefore if this proposal appeals to your interest and you assist me I will give you 25% of the total amount, the rest will be held and released to me when I get to your country. Please contact me through my email: gkouame@gmail.co m so I can give you further details concerning this transaction. In anticipation of your acknowledgement of this proposal I thank you for taking the time to go through this letter.Regar dsGeorge--To send Geo a reply, visit this link:http://www.matepal.com/messages.php

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam