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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:

• 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)
  • "a security company " (this will cost you money - that's what the scam is about)
  • "you will be given 30%" (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)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • +34635175157 (Spain, 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.
  • dwrd_boateng@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Mr.Edward Boateng. <ed_boateng@virgilio.it>
Reply-To: "email:dwrd_boateng"@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Thu, 04 May 2006 17:25:00 +0200
Subject: RESPOND


Dear Sir/Madam
My name is Mr.Edward Boateng, the son of Chief
Joshua
Boateng (the former deputy minister of finance under the ousted
civilian government) who was killed
and mutilated by the military
junta
led by Major,Paul Koroma after over-throwing the elected
government of
President Tijan Kabba. Though, I do not know to what
extent you are
familiar with events and disturbances in Sierra-Leone
but the pressure
of war drove me and my mother out of Sierra-Leone
into exile in Spain
where we have been living under political asylum.
Sadly, my mother
died of cancer 2 months ago and was buried in Spain.
Prior to her
death, she handed me over a certificate meant for a
secret deposit,
which
my father made in a security company in Spain.
The deposit that
is worth $40,000,000.00 (Forty millionU.S Dollars)
was money paid to
his corporation by its
overseas customers in the
heat of the conflict.
He made the deposit in his name with the hope
of
converting it to his
personal use at the end of the war but was
killed
when the conflict
intensified as a result of his opposition to
the
rebel forces. I have
contacted the Security Company to confirm
the
deposit and establish
ownership.
Due to the death of my mother
and
the return of peace in
Sierra-Leone, I have decided to solicit
for the
participation of an
honest and trustworthy person or
company
that will
assist in the
transfer and business re-investment of the
money. I
cannot do it alone
due to my present social status and total
ignorance
of the
business
world. Your friend billy talks good about
you. You
will be given 30%
percentage of the total amount at the end
of the
transaction.Note that
the security company i not know the
content of
the box.
If you are
interested in the above proposal,
contact me
immediately through the
number indicated above for more
details. You
must maintain absolute
confidentiality
to ensure
success. Please,
indicate your personal
Tel/Fax numbers when
replying. You can also
reply me by
tel +34 635-175-157
email:
dwrd_boateng@yahoo.co.uk
Best regards.
Mr.Edward Boateng.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam