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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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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 beloved," (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "a security company " (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. )
  • "huge amount of money" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: mike kelvin <michael_kelvin102@hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 4 Aug 2007 13:04:26 +0000
Subject: YOUR URGENT REPLY IS NEEDED



Dear Beloved,

With the compliments of the season I send you this e-mail am Michael mobutu seseseco the daughter of former president mobutu seseseco in the people republic of congo West Africa.
Although I regret any inconveniences sending you this e-mail may cause you due to the fact that we have never met before.


I got your contact through my search on the internet and I decided to contact you due to your reputation. My latefather Mobutu Seseseco died in a political crises in my country and that devastating situation jolted and compelled me and my mother to seek refuge in a strange land in ghana (bujumbura refuggee camp). But before the unexpected occurred to my father he called me just as if he knew he was going to pass away and handed over to me his document covering some huge amount of money (US$20m) which he kept in a sealed box which my father deposited in a security company in Ghana as family belongings.


He advised me at that time if should anything happen to him,i should use the money to establish a non-perishable or worth doing business that could sustain the family line for a life time. Now looking deeply into the system of Africa where there is war political unrest in every part of it,i think it is wise and necessary to move out of the Continent to a more convenient Country oversea where i would be resettled and solidly live forever. So in this context, I decided to contact you through this e-mail to ask for your assistance in logistic and also to help us mainly on how to move this fund from Africa which we consider as our major problem because it might be difficult for us to carry such amount in this quantity from Africa without been questioned. i decided to give 25% to you if you could help me and 5% for any expenses .


Once again I still ask for your assistance on this purpose and to confirm your interest to help me you should get back to me so that I can feed you with full details and all document concerning it.

I’ will stand by here to read from you.God bless you in all you do in advance

Best regards

Michael Seseseco
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam