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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:
  • "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "the diplomat " ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
  • "abidjan" (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.
  
• 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.
  • pascal_bali88@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "PASCAL" <pascal_bali88@yahoo.com> (may be fake)
Date: Sat, 28 Oct 2006 05:25:16 +0000
Subject: Hi,

Hi, It is my pleasure to acquaint you with my situation and humbly ask for your help. My name is PASCAL BALI, my father was a cocoa farmer who was killed by the rebels during the recent political crises in my country COTE D'IVOIRE (Ivory Coast). As a result of the political instability in my country before the death of my late father, he diligently deposited a sum of Six Million Five Hundred Thousand US Dollars. ($6,500.000) in a Security Storage Firm in Europe for personal reasons. I am seeking for your help to transfer into an overseas account, this money as a reliable and trustworthy person for an investment purposes in your country. Because of the political climate in Abidjan Ivory Coast right now and the instability in African countries economy, please I need you to assist me to relocate and invest my heritage wisely. Please I am ready to offer you 20% of the total sum of $6.5 Million, as a reward of your effort on your willingness to assist me. Please I will like you to forward to me immediately you receive my mail, your complete names, address including your phone numbers for more explanations and for the legal documentation of this transaction. Please, note that the fund will be released from the security storage firm and transferred to you within 7 working days to your country through a diplomatic means and after receiving the fund from the Diplomat you go and deposit the fund in cash to your account, as soon as you received this fund I will now arrange for my travelling papers to meet you. I wait your kind response today. Thanks for your care and understanding. This is my email address ( pascal_bali88@yahoo.com ) I await your reply. Thanks and God bless you. Your's PASCAL.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam