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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:
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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:

• 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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "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)
  • "hundred thousand us 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)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • johnwatt42@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Mrs Anita Brown <watts.006@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2007 09:26:10 +0100
Subject: WATSON INVESTMENT INC



Dear Sir/Madam,

I write to introduce myself to you and also solicit your assistant for investment/business transaction. I am Dr John Watt a retired Government official and the president of Watson investment Inc London, United Kingdom a brokerage company. As per my brief trip last year for some investment purposes, I was able to visit your country Also, during my trip I made a lot of business contacts within and outside your country. My purpose of writing you is to seek your assistance in search of some investment in your country. As regards to this, I wish to inform you presently how much eager I want to invest some huge amount of money in within and outside your country. However, I do not know much about investments in your country hence I hereby correspond with you through your e-mail address I got from the British Business website. As regard to this, presently I am much eager to invest up to $4,200,000 (Four million And Two hundred Thousand US dollars) in real estates mainly apartment complexes and hotels and construction. In accordance, would you please answers back immediately through private my e-mail address, johnwatt42@yahoo.co.uk and let me know your willingness to assist in this transaction.

Yours faithfully,

Mrs. Anita Brown (secretary)
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam