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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "trunk box" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "former president of liberia" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "liberia" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "MR. Aziz Ahmed" <a_ziza_01@yahoo.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: a_ziza01@yahoo.com
Date: Sat, 7 Oct 2006 09:48:18 +0200
Subject: PEACE OF THE LORD BE WITH YOU

Dear Friend

My name is Mr Aziz Ahmed; I am a personal aide to the former President
of Liberia.The former President of Liberia Mr. Charles Taylor was on exile to a
neighboring African country. Presently he is facing trial in Freetown -
Sierra Leone for war crimes as a result of the just ended civil war in
Liberia and Sierra Leone that lasted for 14 years.

I was with him in exile in Calabar , before he was arrested on the 24th
of March 2006. He gave me strict instructions to seek for foreign
assistance from a credible businessman who will assist in securing the sum
of US$3.5 million from a private security company in Europe. The one
trunk box containing the sum of US$3.5 million was dispatched from as
diplomatic consignment containing art works and artifacts, shortly before
we went into exile. I cannot travel abroad right now because I am still
in hiding and my passport has been seized.

I humbly seek your assistance as directed by Mr. Charles Taylor to take
delivery of the one trunk box and deposit the funds in your bank
account. We have received an urgent message that the one trunk box will soon
be declared unclaimed and confiscated by the security company, if
nobody comes forth to claim the box and its contents.

You are assured that your effort will be adequately rewarded with 20%
of the funds as agency fee for your assistance. Please note that this
transaction is very confidential.

I wait for your response so that I can give you further directives.
Yours truly,
Mr Aziz Ahmed.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam