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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "united state of america" (this email uses bad English)
  • "certified bank draft" (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 fake lottery scam. Consider the following facts about real lotteries:
  
  1. They don't notify winners by email.
  2. You can't win without first buying a lottery ticket.
  3. They don't randomly select email addresses to award prizes to.
  4. They don't use free email accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc) to communicate with you.
  5. They don't tell you to call a mobile phone number.
  6. They don't tell you to keep your winnings secret.
  7. They will never ask a winner to pay any fees to receive a prize!
• 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.
  • +447024054178 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
  • +2348059945720 (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.
  • agent_murphyray002@yahoo.dk

Fraud email example:

From: "unicef00001@terra.es" <unicef00001@terra.es>
Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2007 11:29:24 +0200 (MEST)
Subject: 2007 UNICEF COMPENSATIONS


Dear Winner,

How are you today? Hope all is well with you and your family? I hope this

mail meets you in a perfect condition. I am using this opportunity to

thank you for your great effort to our unfinished transfer of your

winning check to you as a winner, due to logistic reasons or the other

best known to you. But I want to inform you that I have successfully

cleared the check to someone else's account who is capable of assisting

me in this great venture. Due to your effort, sincerity, courage and

trustworthiness showed at the course of the transaction, I want to

compensate you and show my gratitude to you with the sum of $500,000.00

Thousand United State Of America Dollars. I have authorized Mr. Murphy

Ray where I deposited the money to issue you international certified bank

draft cashable at your bank. My dear winner, I will like you to contact

Mr. Murphy Ray for the collection of this international certified bank

draft. The name and contact address of the Mr. Murphy Ray is as follows.

NAME: Mr. Murphy Ray
ADDRESS: 15 Monston Lane Park NA MJ701 PT7
TELEPHONE: +2348059945720, +447024054178
E-MAIL: agent_murphyray002@yahoo.dk

Contact Mr. Murphy Ray at the moment, I am very busy here because of the

investment projects which myself and my new partners are having at hand

In London. Finally, I also would like to remind you that I have forwarded

instructions to the Mr. Murphy Ray on your behalf to send the bank draft

check of Five Hundred Thousand United State Of America Dollars to you as

soon as you contact him without delay .

Please I will like you to accept this token with good faith as this is

from the bottom of my heart. Thanks and God bless you and your family.

Hope to hear from you soon.






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Inf&oacute;rmate pinchando aqu&iacute;.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam