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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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)
  • "million united states dollars" (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)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• 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.
  • +2348026223132 (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.
  • rfesq4@myway.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Union Bank <rfesq1@myway.com>
Reply-To: rfesq4@myway.com
Date: 24 Oct 2006 04:39:38 +0300
Subject: PRIVATE AND URGENT.

Content-Type: text/plain

Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit




From: ROLAND FALEYE.

Bills & Exchange Manager

UNION BANK NIG PLC.

MARINA, LAGOS.

Tel:+234-802-622-3132



Attention;





PRIVATE AND URGENT.



I am contacting you in regards to a business transfer

of a huge sum of money from a deceased account. Though

I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make

anyone apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you

that all will be well at the end of the day. We

decided to contact you due to the urgency of this

transaction.



PROPOSITION;



We discovered an abandoned sum of (Nine Million United

states Dollars) in an account that belongs to one of

our foreign customers who died along with his entire

family.



Since his death, none of his next-of-kin or relations

has come forward to lay claims to this money as the

heir. We cannot release the fund 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, we 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 us for

the funds (Nine Million United states Dollars) to be

released in your favor as the beneficiary's next of

kin.



It may interest you to note that we have secured from

the probate an order of madamus to locate any of

deceased beneficiaries. Please acknowledge receipt of

this message in acceptance of our mutual business

endeavor by furnishing me with the following;



1. Your Full Names and Address.

2. Direct Telephone and Fax numbers.



These requirements will enable us file a letter of

claim to the appropriate departments for necessary

approvals in your favour before the transfer can be

made. We shall be compensating you with 3 Million

Dollars on final conclusion of this project, while the

rest shall be for us. Your share stays with you while

the rest shall be for us for investment purposes in

your country.



If this proposal is acceptable by you, do not take

undue advantage of the trust we have bestowed in you,

I await your urgent email.



Regards,

ROLAND FALEYE.

E-mail: rfesq4@myway.com

Tel:+234-802-622-3132

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam