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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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:
  • "is highly confidential" (they don't want anyone to point out to you that this is a scam)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
• 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.
  • +27781286275 (South Africa, 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.
  • mrwalter_ray@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "WALTER RAY" <walter_ray22@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: mrwalter_ray@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2006 07:29:26 +0000
Subject: URGENT BUSINESS AGREEMENT

FROM: MR. WALTER RAY

CHIEF AUDITOR,

AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK

SOUTH AFRICA

Tel: +27-78-128-6275.

Email: mrwalter_ray@yahoo.com

DEAR SIR,

I am Walter Ray Chief Auditor, African Development Bank South Africa. I have decided to send forth this proposal to you after some due deliberation. I became assured of your credibility of handling this transaction and also trusting you with my future. Thus, after my humble decision to solicit for your understanding and co-operation in this transaction, as it will be of immense beneficial to all of us involved.

The Portfolio:

A German Mr. Wolfgang Schiniter, 66 years of age and a prosperous farmer had in our Firm a sum of Ten Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars (U.S.$10.5million). He named his wife Mrs. Helga Schiniter as the next of kin. Unfortunately they were both killed in the recent air crash involving Concord AF4590 in Genesee, France. Efforts had been made by the management of my Firm through the German Embassy in Pretoria to contact any of the children of Mr. Wolfgang Schiniter but to no avail.

According to the embassy, the couple had no offspring. The Firm is still unrelenting in its bit to contact any of the relatives to claim this money or the fund will go to the government. In order to avoid this development my colleagues and I now seek your permission to have you stand as a distant relative to Late Mr. Wolfgang Schiniter so that this fund would be released to you.

All the documents and proofs to enable you to get these funds will be carefully worked out. The Firm has secured from the court an order of mandamus to locate any of the deceased relatives, and I am assuring you that this is 100% risk free.

Finally, I have agreed to give you 25% of the fund, due to your assistance while 5% will be set aside for expenses made by both sides. While the remaining 70% will be for  me and my colleagues. If satisfied with this proposal, kindly notify me by telephone or send me mail on this email address mrwalter_ray@yahoo.com so that I can furnish you with more details on how the transaction will be done. I will be with you in person before the fund arrives in your account for the disbursement according to the percentages indicated above once this money gets into your account.

Please note that this is highly confidential and should be treated as such. Give me your consent and I will go ahead with the paperwork.

Best Regards,

WALTER RAY,

Tel: +27-78-128-6275.

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam