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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
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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)
  • "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)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "Dr. Kay Williams" <kaywilliams_1@virgilio.it> (may be fake)
Reply-To: kaywilliams_private@yahoo.co.in
Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2006 03:21:51 -0700
Subject: for your perusal

Dear Sir/Madam,

INVESTMENT ENQUIRY ON ESTATE PROPERTIES.

It is with
heartfelt hope that I write to seek your co-operation and
assistance
in my desire to invest into Estate properties in your
country.Briefly,
I am an old man and due for retirement at any moment from now after
putting many years in civil service as Secretary Ministerial Contract
Evaluation and Implementation, in the presidency . And during this past
years in the office I was able to secure huge amount of money from
over-
invoiced Government Contract Bills, through the advantage of my
position in the office.

I have been deliberating on how to invest
this fund abroad in a
confidential manner untill I came to a
conclusion to use it to buy Estate Properties and lease to people while
part of it will be used for non ? speculative investments in your
country as part of measures to secure the betterment of my retirement
future, till I come over to meet with you. In view of this therefore, I
am soliciting your confidence, support and assistance as my partner to
claim this fund for the investment project with your name and support
from the Security Vault where I deposited it for safe keeping. This is
because we civil servants are not allowed to own and operate Dollar
Accounts, especially outside the country. As a matter of fact, to claim
this fund remains the vital issue for now which after the successful
claim of the fund we can then invest immediately into any Estate
Property you may consider lucrative in your country or else where.

However, I will be happy to disclose to you the amount to be claimed
and invested as soon as I received your reply, as I expect you to be
trustworthy and kind enough to respond positively to my ENQUIRY. Assist
me please. Thanks

Dr. Kay Williams

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam