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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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "of which your share shall be" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • +2348033323113 (Nigeria, 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.
  • sholabalo2004@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Shola Balogun" <sholabalo3@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: sholabalo2004@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 17:21:15 +0000
Subject: Please Read and Please Respond

>From The Desk Of Mr. Shola Balogun.
Federal Ministry Of Works&Housing.
Nigeria desk.
Tel:234-803-3323-113
Web Fax number:1-7753-832-732

ASSISTANCE REQUIRED FOR ACQUISITION OF ESTATES.
Dear Sir/Madam,

I write to inform you of my desire to acquire estates or landed
properties in your country on behalf of the Director of Contracts and
Finance Allocation of the Federal Ministry of works and Housing in
Nigeria. Considering his very strategic and influential position,he
would want the transaction to be strictly as confidential as possible.

He further want his identity to remain undisclosed at least for now,
until the completion of the transaction. Hence our desire to have an
overseas agent. I have therefore been directed to inquire if you would
agree to act as our overseas agent in order to actualise this
transaction.

The deal in brief is that the funds with which to carry out our
proposed investments in your country is presently in a coded account in
the Nigerian apex bank and we need your assistance to transfer the
funds to your country or any safe account outside your country in a
convenient bank account that will be provided by you before we can put
the
funds into use. For this you shall be considered to have executed a
contract for the ministry. The contract sum of which shall run into
US$15.5
Million of which your share shall be 30% if you agree to be our
overseas
agent.Your area of specialisation does not matter in this transaction,
all that is required of you is a safe account and your willingness to
assist us acquire estates in your country. As soon as payment is
effected and the amount mentioned above is successfully transferred
into your
account, we intend to use our own share in acquiring some estates
abroad.

For this too, you shall serve as our agent . It might interest you to
note that last year, a similar transaction was carried out with one MR.
CHIENCHEN YU of Taiwan but after securing the payment approvals, and
payment effected, MR. CHIENCHEN YU changed his numbers and addresses,
and
was no where to be found on our getting to Taiwan. That was how we lost
US$7.5Million. So this time around ,I will be with you before the
remmittance is made into your provided account to avoid future
occurrence
and allow trust to play a very minimal role until performance is seen.

You are requested to communicate your acceptance or otherwise of this
proposal, through my personal email address (sholabalo2004@yahoo.co.uk)
with your peronal phone number so I can recieve your response. After
which we shall discuss in details the modalities for seeing this
transaction through. If however, you are not disposed to assist, kindly
destroy
this letter in view of the confidentiality of the proposed transaction
and interest of personalities involved.

Thank you in anticipation of your co-operation.

Best Regards,

Shola Balogun

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam