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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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Fraud email example:

From: "michael williams" <michael_williams2001@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: mrmichaelawilliams@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 14 Sep 2005 12:00:57 -0400
Subject: hello

Dear sir/madam,
I am Michael A. Williams (Esq), solicitor with the Nigerian Aviation
Ministry(N.A.M). On the 10th day of July, 2003, an Engineer expatriate
working as a technical contractor at the N.M.A lost his life on his way to
Lagos from Abuja by a fatal motor accident, along with his wife and children
who later gave up at the general hospital.

Before his death, the deceased has a deposit with a financial Institution
here worth Fourteen Million Five Hundred thousand United States
Dollars(14,500,000).
As his personal attorney and since I am the only one who knows about the
deposit, I went to the financial Institution to make the claim and was told
that the only person who can claim this money is his NEXT OF KIN.

Since all his family died at the accident, all effort to trace his next of
kin proved abortive. Therefore, I am writing to you so that I can make you
the deceased next of kin, as the Security Company also told me that
immediately I present the deceased next of kin, the money would be released
to the person within few working days. Be informed that your gratification
for assisting me to claim this money shall be 50%; while the remaining 50%
shall be mine.

In my next e-mail, I shall give you detail explanation on how the project
will be executed. Meanwhile, acknowledge the receipt of this mail
immediately and include your personal and direct telephone/fax numbers for
easy communication.

Yours sincerely
Michael A. Williams

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam