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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
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• 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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "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. )
  • "million 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)
  • "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "liberia" (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.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "Maria Williams" <mariawilliams_21@yahoo.co.uk> (may be fake)
Reply-To: neemariawilliams@yahoo.fr
Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2007 09:41:27 +0000
Subject: PLEASE,RESPOND SOON


My dear Sir
Accept my greetings=2EI am Maria Williams=2Cfirst cousine to Charles Taylor=2Cthe former Liberian president who is recently facing trial at hague=2EI contacted you because of a confidential matter that i will like to discuss with you=2E
First=2Ci am presently here now in Dakar=2Ccapital of senegal=2Cabandoning my studies back home because of political persecution by the Government of Mrs Ellen Johnson=2E
I am now a refugee here and i will like to ask you if can help and assist me come out from here to join you=2E
I have enough funds that can enable me do this but the problem is that my father=2Cwho happens to share the same Mother with Taylor is still there in detention in Liberia=2Cbeing the former assistant to Taylor when he was president in Liberia=2E
if you can=2Cplease act fast and i will join you there=2EMy father has a certain amount deposited in a security company in europe and that money is deposite in my name and another one depsited in my younger brother's name but in Malaysia=2E
I am contacting you because of my own case and the amount is 3=2E7million us dollars=2EI have no interest to continue to live here in Africa and i like to leave here now but the papers i hold now is united nations refugee paper =2EI have contacted the security company in Euroupe and they advised me to get someone outside africa for them to transfer this money to=2EI have prayed over this and my pastor here tells me you are good enough to help me=2E
You are to help and assist me contact the security company for them to transfer this money so that i can come there to meet you and we decide the kind of investment lucrative there in your country or any other country=2E
I am waiting for your urgent reply to this message=2E
Maria

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam