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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:

• 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:
  • "huge amount of money" (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)
  • "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• 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.
  • +2348024466618 (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.
  • ezeobi222@yahoo.it (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Eze Obi" <ezeobi01@msn.com>
Reply-To: ezeobi222@yahoo.it
Date: Sun, 19 Feb 2006 10:19:38 +0000
Subject: BE THE NEXT OF KIN

BARR.EZE OBI.
NO.23 BADAGRY EXPRESSWAY,
LAGOS- NIGERIA.
PRIVATE TEL:234-8024466618
EMAIL:ezeobi222@yahoo.it

Attn:

I am Barr.Eze Obi.,Solicitor. I am the Personal Attorney to Mr.Thomas Bragg,
a
national of your country, who used to work with shell development company in
Nigeria.On the 2nd of may 2001, my client, his wife And their three children
were involved in a car accident along Sagamu Express Road.All occupants of
the
vehicle unfortunately lost there lives.

Since then I have made several enquiries to your embassy to locate any of my
clients extended 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 of no avail, hence I
contacted
you.

I have contacted you to assist in repartrating the money that belong to my
client before they get confisicated or declared unserviceable by the bank
where
this huge amount of money deposits were lodged Particularly, the Bank where
the
deceased had an account valued at about $40 (Fourty Million Dollars) has
issued
me a notice to provide the next of kin or have the account confisicated
within
the next ten official working days.

since i have been unsuccesfull in locating the relatives for over 3 years
now I
seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased since
you
are from the same country and bear the same last name ,so that the proceeds
of
this account valued at $40 million dollars can be paid to you and then you
and
me can share the money. 55% to me and 40% to you, while 5% should be for
expenses or tax as your government may require.

We will obtain all the legal/vital certificates of deposit/claims that can
be
used to back up any claim we may make. All I require is your honest
cooperation
to enable us see this dealt through I guarantee that this will be executed
under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the
law.

Thanks and God bless,
Barr.Eze Obi.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam