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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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "might come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "diplomatic courier" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist 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. )
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: samuel duke <samuel23duke@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <samuel3dukeprivate@myway.com>
Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2007 00:50:41 +0200
Subject: HOW ARE U FRIEND




Dear Friend,This letter might come to you as a surprise as we havenot met before,but I believe that you would becompelled to help me after going through the contentsof this letter. My name is Mr Samuel Richard Duke, adivorce, I am a Zimbabwean. I am a farmer in Zimbabwe.Basically, I was involved in Agricultural production,until August (2003), when the government of RobertMugabe decided to seize all farm-land(s) owned bywhites in Zimbabwe (without compensation). He (RobertMugabe) did not stop at that he also went on to expelall White farmers in Zimbabwe. He implored theservices of his war veterans to undertake hisseizure.The war veterans havebeen accused (correctly)of being behind the violent occupation of white-ownedcommercial farms in which an estimated 70,000 farmworkers have been displaced. At least,over hundredswhite farmers and black settlers have been killedsince the farm invasion began in February 2000Link{www.guardian.co.uk/weblog/special/0,10627,536901,00.html}Althoughwe know that we are taking a great risk by stayinghere in Zimbabwe. At the Moment, our phone lines arebugged, and all our movements are being monitored byZimbabwean (Robert Mugabe's)secret Police. Thereforeemail is the safest means of communication for now.We have taken our case to the United Nations and evenwith the threats of transactions and the subsequentsanctions from the West against the Zimbabweanauthorities, Robert Mugabe still remains adamant. Heis insisting that our farm land (some of which webought with our money and most of which We inheritedfrom ourfathers) belongs to the (his) government ofZimbabwe. Since I could not keep the money inZimbabwe, I used the services of a Diplomatic CourierCompany to move this money (registered as officialdocuments) out of Zimbabwe to Abroad. At present, mymoney totaling US$17,750,000(seventeen million,sevenhundred and fifty thousand dollars. The fund is inoversea and hopefully it would be paid into anoffshore account. Can you help me? Are youtrustworthy? Can you handle this money? Are youcapable of handling this money? If you can, pleasecontact me All you need to do is to claim this moneyfrom the Courier Company. For your assistance, youwill be entitled to 20% of the total sum. You are alsoobliged to help/advise on the proper and mostconvenient way of investing this money in yourcountry, hopefully, You will consider this request andrespond positively.Yours sincerely,Mr Samuel Richard Duke
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam