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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
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• 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:

• 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 friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• This email message is a "New Partner from Paraguay" scam.
• 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.
  • desmondelliot674@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: sabastain morgan <sabastainmorgan8@hotmail.fr>
Date: Sun, 22 Jul 2007 19:34:14 +0100
Subject: Now contact my secretary



Dear Friend,Longest time and happy day.I'm happy to inform you about my success in getting those funds transferred under the cooperation of a new partner from uraguay. Presently i'm in uraguay for investment projects with my own share of total sum. mean while, i didn't forget your past efforts and attempts to assist me in transferring this funds despite that it failed us some how.Now contact my secretary in Benin his name is Mr Desmond Elliot on his e-mail address stated ( desmondelliot674@yahoo.fr ) Ask him to send you the total Amount of $950,000.00 u.s dollars which i kept for your compensation for all the past effortsand attempts to assist me in this matter. I appreciated your efforts at that time very much.So feel free and get in touched with my secretary Mr Desmond Elliot i instructed him where to send the cheque. And send him your contact information such as below your full name..............home address ...............phone number ............Your sex, age ...............So that he will submit it to the courier company where i directed him to mail the cashier cheque to your designated address without any delay.Please do let me know immediately you receive it so that we can share the joy after all the sufferness at that time ok, In the moment, I’m very busy there because of the investment projects which i and the new partner are having at hand .Finally ,remember that I have forwarded instruction to my secretary on your behalf to instruct the courier company to deliver the cashier cheque to you as soon as you send your details information without delay. So feel free to get in touch with my secretary he will send the cheque to you without any delay.Best Regards,Mr SABASTAIN
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam