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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.

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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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "waiting for your urgent response" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "foreign payment department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
  • "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
• 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.
  • +447045718547 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: peter cummings <pet_cummings22@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <p.cummings1@inbox.ru>
Date: Tue, 17 Jul 2007 19:51:00 -0600
Subject: FROM MR PETER CUMMINGS


PRIVATE MEMO BANK OF SCOTLAND.HBOS plc PO Box No. 5 The MoundEdinburgh EH1 1YZFROM THE DESK OF MR PETER CUMMINGS,DL-TELEPHONE: + 44-7045-718547

URGENT REPLY NEEDED.

Good day, I know this will come to you as a surprise but the need to involve a reliable and honest person to transfer out 35,800,000.00 (Thirty five million, eight hundred thousand pounds) from my employers (BANK OF SCOTLAND, LONDON) has made me to seek your assistance believing that you are the right person that will aid me in this deal. It was after going through your profile at the Internet Directory that i believe that you are capable to aid me and that is why i have contacted you.

I am Mr. Peter Cummings, Chief Executive of Corporate (BANK OF SCOTLAND, LONDON) there is an Account opened in this Bank in 1980 and since 1995,nobody has operated this Account again, after going through some old files in the records, I discovered that the Owner of the Account is Late. The owner of this Account is Late Mr. Martin Green, A Foreigner and investor by profession. He died in an Auto Crash and no other person knows about this Dormant Account or anything concerning it and the Account has no Beneficiary and i want to inherit these funds for my private use but as a Banker,I cannot lay claims on the funds by my self and that is why i have contacted you to use your name as the next of kin/beneficiary to the Dormant Account and transfer these funds for my private use. I want you to stand as the Next Of Kin so that i will use my High-Rank position here in this Bank to convince other co-staffs to effect Legal approvals and onward Transfer of this money to your Nominated Account as the Next of Kin/Beneficiary of the funds with appropriate clearance from probate registry & Foreign Payment Department. I will destroy all the documents concerning this transaction immediately the funds are transferred to your nominated Account leaving no trace of the transfer to any place and apply for my resignation as this will enable me come over to your Country to collect my share and invest a good part of it on projects you will advise me as lucrative in your Country.

I will take 70% and you shall take 30% of the total sum hoping that the sharing ratio is accepted by you. I am desperately waiting for your urgent response.

Regards,
Mr. Peter Cummings.


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam