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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:
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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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "a security company " (this will cost you money - that's what the scam is about)
  • "back to me via my private e-mail" (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
  • "i will advice you " (this email uses bad English)
• This email message is a "Yukos oil" scam. The criminals who send such emails have no connection to Yukos Oil. The emails are usually sent from Nigeria. The only money that ever changes hands in this scam is from you to the criminals.
• 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.
  • peterswilliams50@universal.pt (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • mrwilliamspeters22@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: MR.PETERS WILLIAMS <mrpeterswilliams@yahoo.fr>
Reply-To: mrpeterswilliams07@yahoo.es
Date: 8 May 2007 06:43:06 +0100
Subject: Yukos Oil Inivestment!!!!!!!!!!

Content-Type: text/html
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit


MR.PETERS WILLIAMS
E-mail:peterswilliams50@universal.pt

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am Peters Williams and I represent Mr. Mikhail Khordokovsky the former C.E.O of Yukos Oil Company in Russia.

I have a very sensitive and confidential brief from him to ask for your partnership in re-profiling funds in a private bank investment portfolio in Europe.

I will give the details, but in summary, the funds are deposited in a security company in Europe. This is a legitimate transaction. You will be paid 25% of the portfolio investment value as your "management fees". If you are interested, please write back to me via my private E-mail:mrwilliamspeters22@yahoo.fr and provide me with your confidential telephone number, fax number and email address and I will
provide further details and if you are satisfied I can proceed with the instructions.

Please we can not afford any political problems because of recent events in Russia.

So I will advice you keep this to your self.

Finally, please note that this must be concluded within reasonable time frame therefore your prompt reply is essential.Write me back. I look forward to it.

Best Regards.

MR.PETERS WILLIAMS.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam