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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • ",500,000" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "00,000.00" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: abdul abdul <abdulyerima2000@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <abdulyerima2000@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 07:33:35 +0000
Subject: FROM THE DESK OF AUDIT/ACCOUNTS MANAGER



FROM THE DESK OF ABDUL YERIMA.AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING MANAGER, BANK OF AFRICA (B.O.A)
BANK WEBSITE: www.bkofafrica.net

DEAR FRIEND, 13/12/2007 I KNEW THIS MESSAGE WILL COME TO YOU AS A SURPRISE; I AM THE BILL AND EXCHANGE MANAGER IN BANK OF AFRICA (BOA), PORTH HARCOURT . I HOPED THAT YOU WILL NOT EXPOSE OR BETRAY THIS TRUST AND CONFIDENT THAT I AM ABOUT TO IMPOSE IN YOU FOR THE MUTUAL BENEFIT OF OUR FAMILIES.

I NEED YOUR URGENT ASSISTANCE IN TRANSFERRING THE SUM OF (US$4,500,000.00) TO YOUR ACCOUNT WITHIN 21 BANKING DAYS. THIS MONEY HAS BEEN DORMANT FOR YEARS IN OUR BANK WITHOUT ANY BODY CLAIMING THE FUND.

I WANT THE BANK TO RELEASE THE MONEY TO YOU AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO OUR DECEASED CUSTOMER (THE OWNER OF THE ACCOUNT) BELONGS TO ONE OF OUR FOREIGN CUSTOMER (MR. RICHARD BURSON FROM FLORIDA, U.S.A) WHO DIED ALONG WITH HIS ENTIRE FAMILY ON NOVEMBER 1999 IN A PLANE CRASH.FOR MORE INFORMATIONS ABOUT THE CRASH YOU CAN VISIT THIS SITE:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/502503.stm I DON'T WANT THE MONEY TO GO INTO OUR BANK TREASURER ACCOUNT AS AN ABANDONED FUND. SO THIS IS THE REASON WHY I CONTACTED YOU SO THAT THE BANK CAN RELEASE THE MONEY TO YOU AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO THE DECEASED CUSTOMER. PLEASE I WOULD LIKE YOU TO KEEP THIS PROPOSAL AS A TOP SECRET AND DELETE IT IF YOU ARE NOT INTERESTED.

UPON RECEIPT OF YOUR REPLY, I WILL GIVE YOU FULL DETAILS ON HOW THE BUSINESS WILL BE EXECUTED AND ALSO NOTE THAT YOU WILL HAVE 20% OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED SUM IF YOU AGREE TO HANDLE THIS BUSINESS WITH ME , 75% WILL BE FOR ME AND 5% SET SIDE TO TAKE CARE OF ALL THE EXPENSES TO BE INCURED BY BOTH OF US DURING THE TRANSFER. LOOKING FORWARD RECEIVING YOUR RETURN MAIL WITH YOUR INFORMATION FILLED AS REQUESTED BELOW:
1. NAME IN FULL:......2. ADDRESS:.............................3. NATIONALITY:..........................4. AGE:....................................5. Sex......................................6. OCCUPATION:............................7. MARITAL STATUS:...............................8. PHONE..........................................
THANKS AND HAVE A GREAT DAY AS I WILL BE WAITING FOR YOUR REPLY.
YOURS FAITHFULLY,FATIMA ABBAH.
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam