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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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:
  • "search for a reliable person" (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. Never ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a orphan scam.

Fraud email example:

From: vivian smith <vvn25@hotmail.fr>
Reply-To: <v.smith@hotmail.fr>
Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2007 11:49:34 +0000
Subject: Greetings From Vivian Smith,



Greetings From Vivian Smith, I am Miss Vivian Smith the daughter of late Dr.Phillip Smith, a Sierra Leone. I am writing to you in a most desparate and pitiable situation in which I find myself after the assasination of my parents, At the moment, I need your cordial assistance in transfering a fund worth of USD $22.5 Million into your account This fund was deposited by my late father as a family belongings with a security company in Abidjan the capital City Republic of Cote D’Ivoire ( Ivory Coast ). I got your contact address on my desperate search for a reliable person/company for partnership investments overseas. This fund represent the huge Sales of Diamond while in office as the Chairman Cheif Executive Diamond Mining Co-Operation in my country. Dr Phillip Smith my late father was assasinated by his best friends because of the position while he was in office as Chairman and Chief Executive of a Diamonds Mining Co-Operative in my country. According to the will of my late father before his assasination he advise me to look for a foreigner who will stand as the beneficiary of the fund,He deposited this said fund in a security company as family belongings. I got to know about this information and as well able to recover all the relevant documents regards to this deposit through his foreign advise. If you are thus and truly willing to assist me and in transferring this metallic box I am ready to provide you with all the relevant informations related to this deposit including contact with security Company where the fund was was deposited. More information about the lifting of this family belongings legally follows immediately after your positive reply Best regards,Ms.Vivian Smith
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam