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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
  (+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:

• 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:
  • "transfer into your account" (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)
  • "hundred thousand united states dollars" (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)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • +2348027058023 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • richikem@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: RICHARD BENSON <richikem4@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <richikem@yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, 11 Aug 2007 07:02:48 +0100
Subject: REQUEST FOR AN URGENT BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP.


Mr.Richard Ikem
Tel : +234-8027058023
E-mail : richikem@yahoo.com
Lagos - Nigeria.


Dear sir,

REQUEST FOR AN URGENT BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP.

I am Richard Ikem,the Chairman of the Contract Award Commission in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

I got your contact from an enquiry I made through our Chamber of Commerce and Industry which convinced me that you would be a reputable partner in a business of this magnitude. This has created in my mind; hope and trust on which this business proposal is anchored.
There is an over-invoiced contract sum of US$28,500,000.00 (Twenty-Eight Million, five hundred thousand United States Dollars) awaiting payment to a foreign contractor. I inflated the original contract sum to make this difference. The original contractor has been paid upon completion of the contract and the project has been commisioned, leaving this amount which I and My colleagues have worked out modalities to transfer into your account without any risk.

This US$28.5M is now waiting to be transferred to the Sub-Contractor which I will now purport your company to be; so that you can receive the money on our behalf.

It should be pertinent to note that; as civil servants, we are forbiden tooperate foreign acounts. That is why I am appealing to you to be of goodassistance to us by providing an account to lodge this money. If youaccept to collaborate with us, we will need your full company'saddress,Telephone/Fax Numbers, your Bank information (Bankname/address,Telephone/Fax Numbers, Account Number, Swift Code and Beneficiary Name);These will enable us to apply officially for theapproval of the payment in favour of your company.
If you render this assistance to us in good faith, we will offer you 20%ofthe US$28.5M, 75% will be for my colleagues and I while the balance which is 5% will stand for any expenses that might be incurred in the course of the transaction.

I will appreciate every effort you will make to make the transaction asuccess.If possible, I would like us to meet physically to sign anAgreement of this partnership.

While anticipating your prompt response.

I am,
Yours faithfully,
Mr. Richard Ikem
NB:Please Reply to richikem@yahoo.com

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam