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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)
  • "very confidential" (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 orphan scam.
• 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.
  • johngaga@latinmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "john gaga" <johngaga@latinmail.com>
Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2008 07:28:09 +0100
Subject: Request


From: John Gaga,
Accra-Ghana.
Email: johngaga@latinmail.com
Dear Friend,
First I must solicit your strictest confidence in this
transaction and I pray that my decision to contact you
will be given genuine approval considering the facts
you and I just meet in the net, I wish to use this
opportunity to introduce myself to you. I am John
Gaga. from Sierra-Leone.
I write you for you to know my desires to invest in your
country; I am the first son of Jonathan P.Gaga, who
was the former Minister of Mines and Industry. My
father had a bullet wound by the rebels on his way
traveling to the Capital city Freetown along with my
sister. My sister died on the spot while (U.N) Peace
keeping force rescued my father, he died eleven months
after.
Before his death he told me about the box containing
$18.5 million U.S Dollars to look after my self and my
Mother and i shouldn not go to Sierra-Leone for my
safety. Why my father deposited the funds in the security
company in Ghana is for the safety of the funds.
Presently, my mother and I are here in Accra Ghana
West Africa to notify the security company for the
claims for the funds, and we are staying in the refugee
camp.
Therefore I want you to lecture me on how best we can
invest this money in your country and as I told you I
really wanted to buy a house when I come there. My
father told me it is dangerous to invest this money in
Africa to avoid suspicious, due to the bad economy and
political instability facing Africa countries that is
why I want to invest it in abroad.
For your foreign assistance I and my mother have
agreed to offer 15% of the total amount of the money.
We have all the vital documents covering the deposited
funds and the ownership which I can send to you on
request.
NOTE: I have never disclosed this to any person apart
from you, so you have to keep this matter very
confidential. Send me your Private phone and fax
numbers for more information and a brief description
of yourself for mutual relationship.
Reach me on my private Email: johngaga@latinmail.com
Best Regards,
Mr.John Gaga.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam