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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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• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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 sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
• 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.
  • mikeandre55@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "i.info" <i.info@orange.nl>
Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2008 21:59:58 +0100 (CET)
Subject: GOOD DAY


Dear Sir/Madam
I am manager of one of the leading company in South Benin in my company we discovered an abandoned large sum of money (US$14.7M) belonging to one of our Foreign Customer late Mr. William Barnes a National of your country, a
businessman, who involved in air crash along with his family. You can confirm from the website below.
PLANE CRASH WEB SITE http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/index.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/egyptair/article/0,,196602,00.html.
I am seeking for your Co-operation to front you as the beneficiary of the
funds. No beneficiary, No other person knows about these funds
neither operate this account since his death. The Strategy is to use our
influence as managers of the company to approve you as the beneficiary and
release the funds over to you. So if you are interested please reply with
your full name, Address, telephone and fax number for further clarification.
You should contact me on my Private Email / mikeandre55@yahoo.fr
immediately as soon as you receive this letter. Trusting to hear from you immediately.
Yours faithfully
Regards.
Mr. Mike Andre

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam