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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
  (+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:
  • "huge sum 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)
  • "contact me immediately" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • ronaldburt@gawab.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "RONALD BURT" <ronaldburt8@hotmail.co.uk>
Reply-To: ronaldburt@gawab.com
Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 12:03:30 +0100
Subject: URGENT BUSINESS PROPOSAL

From: RONALD ELWOOD
HSBC Holdings plc
8 Canada Square
London E14 5HQ
Attention: Sir/Madam,

PRIVATE AND URGENT.

I feel quite safe dealing with you in this business proposition having gone
through your remarkable profile on the Internet. Though, this medium
(Internet) has been greatly abused, I choose to reach you through it because
it still remains the fastest, surest and most secured medium of
communication. My name is RONALD ELWOOD; I am the credit manager in a bank
here in the United Kingdom. I am contacting you of a business transfer, of a
huge sum of money from a deceased account. Though I know that a transaction
of this magnitude will make any one apprehensive and worried, but I am
assuring you that everything has been taken care off, and all will be well
at the end of the day. I decided to contact you due to the urgency of this
transaction.

PROPOSITION:

I am the account officer of a foreigner named Gerald Welsh who died in an
earthquake and tsunami-ravaged Indonesian province of Aceh along with his
wife and entire family in December 26 2004 you can confirm this from the
published by CNN. Since his death, none of his next-of-kin are alive to make
claims for this money as his heir, because they all died in the same
earthquake and tsunami-ravaged (May their soul rest in peace).We cannot
release the funds from his account unless someone applies for claim as the
next-of-kin to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines.Upon this
discovery, I now seek your permission to have you stand as a next of kin to
the deceased, as all documentations will be carefully worked out by me for
the funds (US$5,000,000.00) to be released in your favour as the
beneficiary's next of kin. It may interest you to know that we have secured
from the probate an order of mandamus to locate any of the deceased
beneficiaries. Please acknowledge receipt of this message in acceptance of
our mutual business endeavor by furnishing me with the following information
if you are interested. 1.A Beneficiary name, and complete postal address. In
order for me to prepare the documents for transfer of the funds in your
name. 2. Direct Telephone and fax numbers...For our personal contact and
mutual trust in each other, for more confidentiality and trust. I am willing
to offer you a million dollars ($1Million dollars) of the total funds if you
can assist me transfer the funds to your country or any Bank of your wish,
while the balance $4 Million dollars shall be for me for investment
purposes. If this proposal is acceptable by you, please endeavour to contact
me immediately. I also wish to invest in a stable economy. My interest is in
companies with potentials for rapid growth in long terms. I am interested in
placing part of the funds in your company, if your country’s bi-laws allow
foreign investment. Do not take undue advantage of the trust I have bestowed
in you, I await your urgent mail to my personal e-mail address:
[ronaldburt@gawab.com]

Yours sincerely,
RONALD ELWOOD

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam