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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.

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)
  • "huge deposit" (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)
  • "j'ai une nouvelle adresse mail" (this SPAM email was sent to thousands of people)
  • "affidavit " (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• 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.
  • smatokon111@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • smatokon2008@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: =?iso-8859-1?q?smat=20okon?= <smatokon111@yahoo.fr>
Reply-To: smat_okon1@latinmail.com
Date: Thu, 25 May 2006 09:32:06 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: NEXT OF KIN


J'ai une nouvelle adresse mailVous pouvez maintenant m'écrire à : smatokon111@yahoo.fr

DEAR SIR/MADAM


I AM BARRISTER SMAT OKON SOLICITOR. I AM THE

PERSONAL ATTORNEY TO MR THOMAS ANINDYA, A NATIONAL OF YOUR

COUNTRY, WHO USED TO WORK WITH SHELL DEVELOPMENT

COMPANY IN NIGERIA.ON THE 2ND OF MAY 1999, MY CLIENT,

HIS WIFE AND THEIR THREE CHILDREN WERE INVOLVED IN A

CAR ACCIDENT ALONG SAGBAMA EXPRESS ROAD. ALL OCCUPANTS

OF THE VEHICLE UNFORTUNATELY LOST THERE LIVES. SINCE

THEN I HAVE MADE SEVERAL ENQUIRIES TO YOUR EMBASSY TO A

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 DEPOSITS WERE LODGED.

PARTICULARLY, THE BANK WHERE THE DECEASED HAD AN

ACCOUNT VALUED AT ABOUT $30MILLION 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 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 $30 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, I HAVE THE ERTIFICATE

OF DEPOSIT 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 THAAT WILL PROTECT YOU FROM ANY

BREACH OF THE LAW.PLEASE GET IN TOUCH WITH ME BY MY

EMAIL= smatokon2008@yahoo.com TO ENABLE US DISCUSS FURTHER.

I WILL OBTAIN AFFIDAVIT FROM COURT WHEN YOU RESPONS

TO ME.

BEST REGARDS,

ESQ:SMAT OKON




- smat okon

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam