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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:
  • "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)
  • "affidavit " (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "high court" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Abbas` Sadiq" <sadiqabbas849@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:56:57 +0100
Subject: PRIVATE LETTER.


*THIS IS FOR YOUR ATTENTION.

We wish to notify you again that you were listed as a beneficiary to the
total sum of 12,600,000.00 (Twelve Million Six Hundred Thousand United
States Dollar) in the Codicil and last Testament of the deceased (Name now
withheld) since this is our second letter to you.

We are contacting you because you bear the surname identity and therefore
can present you to our Bank as the beneficiary to the deceased
inheritance/estate.We therefore reckoned that you could receive these
funds as you are qualified by your name identity.All the legal papers will
be processed in your name and favor.

As a result,we request that you urgently forward your letter of
acceptance/reply enclosing your current telephone and fax numbers and your
residential and/or office address to enable us file in the necessary
paper-works and obtain a sworn Affidavit of change of
Beneficiary/Ownership of the funds from the deceased name to yours at the
High Court and Probate Registry respectively to facilitate the release of
this sum of money to you without any hitch.

Please contact me through my above private email so that we can get this
done immediately.

Kind regards,
Sadiq Abbas.

*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam