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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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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)
  • "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • ",000,000" (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)
  • "utmost confidentiality" (they don't want anyone to point out to you that this is a scam)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: david adams <david_adams117@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2007 10:50:25 +0100
Subject: urgent



Mr David AdamsBarclays bankPLC Murray House 1Royal Mint Court London EC3N 4HH Dear friend This is a proposal in context but actually an appeal soliciting for your unreserved assistance in consummating an urgent transaction requiring maximum confidence. Though this approach appears desperate, I can assure you that whatever questions you would need to ask or any other thing you will need to know regarding this proposal will be adequately answered to give you a clearer understanding of it, so as to arrive at a successful conclusion. My name is Mr David Adamsy, Head of Securities, Barclays bank PLc London.A foreign Client , Mr. Rafik Hariri, made several secret (fixed) Deposits for twelve calendar months, valued at 17,000,000.00, (seventen Million Pounds Sterling) in my branch. Upon maturity, the said funds could not be rolled over simply because he died in a car bomb, No one expect the accounts officer and I know about this transaction as he did not include anyone as his spouse or next of kin in his portfolio. Due to the funds being temporarily unclaimable, the funds have being moved out of our bank (as sundry funds )to an offshore Deposit Company here in Europe. From past experiences, I know that no one will ever come forward to claim the deceased funds. According to English laws, at the expiration of 5 (five) years, the funds will be Unclaimable. In order to avert this negative development, my colleague (the accounts Officer in the bank) and I do seek your permission to allow his attorney do a CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP/REASSIGNMENT OF CREDIT of stated funds from the 'deceased' to your name, so that the funds (17 Million Pounds) would be released to you as the new owner (on behalf of my colleague and I). We are writing you because, due to the nature of our jobs, we cannot operate a foreign accounts with over 20,000:00 Pounds. Consequently, you will be presented as the owner of the funds in the Deposit Company so you can be able to claim them; after all necessary paperwork has being effected. For us to commence, I will like you to provide the following information immediately; 1. Full name2. Contact address3. Telephone and fax numbersOnce I receive these information, I will prepare the necessary documents which will put you in place as the new owner of the funds. The money would then be released in your favors by the Deposit Company, for us to share in the ratio of 70% for us and 30% for you. This deal is safe as all the paperwork for this transaction will be done by the solicitor and this will guarantees the successful execution of this transaction. If you are interested, please reply via my email address. Upon your response, I shall then provide you with more details, and further explanation that will help you understand the transaction. No doubt this proposal will make you apprehensive, please we implore you to observe utmost confidentiality and rest assured that this transaction would be most profitable for both of us because we shall require your assistance to invest our share in your country (Real estate and any other ideas you may have), this is why your urgent action and response is of great essence which will enable us conclude this transaction in a timely and professional manner. I await your swift response and hope that you will accept myproposal, as time is of equal essence in this project as well as is confidentiality. Thank you and have a nice day. Respectfully yours, Mr David Adams
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam