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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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)
  • "million united states dollars" (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)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "abuja" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • barrbenson_e22@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Info Network" <info_network44@msn.com>
Reply-To: barrbenson_e22@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 01:30:21 +0000
Subject: URGENT BUSSINESS ATTENTION

BARR,BENSON & ASSOCIATES
10, KOFO ABAYOMI AVENUE,
VICTORIA ISLAND,
LAGOS - NIGERIA.

Dear sir/Madam

I am Barrister Benson Egobia, a Solicitor. I am the Personal Attorney

to Mr.Steve , who used to work with Chevron Oil Development Company in
Nigeria.
On the 21st of April, 2002, his wife and their three children were involved
in a car accident along Abuja
Express Road. Unfortunately, they all lost their lives in the event of the
accident.

Since then I have made several enquiries to your Embassy to locate any of my
client relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful. After these several
unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace his relatives over the Internet to
locate any member of his family but to no avail,hence, I contacted you to
assist in repatriating the money left behind by my client in a Security
Company.

Particularly, the Security Company where the deceased deposited the US$15
Million (Fifteen Million United States Dollars only). Consequently, this
Security Company issued me a notice to provide the Next of Kin to claim the
US$15 Million (Fifteen Million United States Dollars only) in their custody
within the next ten official working days. Since I have been unsuccessful
in locating the relatives for over 2 years now, I seek your consent to
present you as the next of kin of the deceased to claim the fund as the Next
of Kin to him so that the fund will be transferred to your account by the
Security Company.

Upon receipt of the fund, I will come over to your country to meet with you
for the disbursement of
the fund and then you and I will share the money in this order: 55% will be
for me, 40% will be for you, while 5% will be used on expenses incurred. I
have all the necessary legal documents that can back our claim we may make
with the Security Company.

All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us see this deal
through.
I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that
will protect you from All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us
see this deal through.

Please, get in touch with me by my secured and confidential email address at
<barrbenson_e22@yahoo.com> to enable me clarify you further.


Best regards.
Barrister Benson Egobia (Esq)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam