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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:
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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 sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "huge deposit" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +2348037191398 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • peter_bello353@myway.com
  • peter_bello353@myway.com

Fraud email example:

From: "Barrister Peter Peter" <barrister_peter@msn.com>
Date: Sun, 2 Oct 2005 12:28:40 -0500
Subject: NEXT OF KIN TO YOUR LATE RELATIVE

FROM THE DESK OF:BARRISTER PETER BELLO
PETER BELLO & ASSOCIATES
Private Email:peter_bello353@myway.com
Mobile:234-8037-19-1398

Dear Sir/Madam

I am a legal account officer with the ,Inter Continental Bank plc {
ICBPLC),My name is MR PETER BELLO. I am the personal Account Manager to
Engineer Athony Goodluck.A National of your country, who used to work with
shell Development company in Nigeria.Here in after shall be referred to as
my client On April 21, 1999, my client, his wife, and their three children
were involved in a car accident along Sagamu express way.Since then, I have
made several enquiries to your embassy to locate anyof my clients extended
relatives,this has also proved unsuccessful. Afterthese several unsuccessful

attempts, I decided to trace his relatives through my personal research over

the Internet, so to locate any member of his family but to no avail, hence I

contacted you.

I have contacted you to assist in repatriating the money that belong to my
client before they get confiscated or declared as unserviceable by the bank
where this huge deposit were lodged.Particularly, the Bank where the
deceased had an account valued at about $10.5Million Dollars, has issued me

a notice to provide the next of kin or have the account confiscated within
the next ten official working days.

Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over 3 years
now. Therefore, I have decided to seek your consent to present you as
the"Next of Kin" of the deceased so that the proceeds of this account
valuedat $10.5Million Dollars, can be paid to you and then you and me can
share the money. 55% to me and 40% to you, while 5% will be mapped out for
anyexpenses during the process or Tax as your Government may require,

I have the Certificate of deposit that can be used to back up any claim we
may make. All I require is your honest Cooperation to enable us seeing this
deal through.I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate
arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. Please get in
touch with mestrictly via this mail:peter_bello353@myway.com to enable us
discussfurther and please do not forget to send you personal phone and fax
number
for easy communication.

Best regards,
MR. PETER BELLO
Tel:234-8037-19-1398

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam