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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:

• 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)
  • ",500,000" (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)
  • "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "utmost confidentiality" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
• This email message is a "dying widow" scam.
• 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.
  • helenadoe@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Helena doe <helena_doe_4love@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <helenadoe@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 23 Nov 2007 12:53:19 +0000
Subject: Urgent assistance,please!



Urgent Assistance!

Dear Sir/Madam

After going through your profile i decided to contact you for friendship and assistace and distribution of my inherentance.

My name is Helena Doe,i am from Ghana in west Africa. I am a dying woman who have decided to donate what i have to you/ church. I am 54 years old and i was diagnosed for cancer for about 7 years ago, immediately after the death of my husband who lived all his life in America, who has left me everything he worked for.

I have been touched by God to donate from what i have inherited from my late husband for the good work of God, rather than allow my relatives to use my husband hard earned funds ungodly. Please pray that the good Lord forgive me my sins. I have asked God to forgive me and i believe he has because He is a merciful God. I will be going in for an operation in a weeks time.

I have decided to WILL/donate the sum of $7,500,000 (Seven million five hundred thousand dollars) to you for the good work of the lord, and also to help the motherless and less privilege and also for the assistance of the widows according to (JAMES 1:27).

At the moment i cannot take any telephone calls right now due to the fact that my relatives are around me and my health status. I have adjusted my WILL and my lawyer is aware.I will changed my will to you and will arrange the transfer of the funds from my account to you as soon as you indicate your interest.

I wish you all the best and may the good Lord bless you abundantly, and please use this funds well when it gets to you and always extend the good work to others.I know i don't know you but i have been directed by God to do this. Thanks and God bless.

NB: I will appreciate your utmost confidentiality in this matter until the task is accomplished as I don't want anything that will jeopardize my last wish. And Also I will be contacting with you by email as I don't want my relation or anybody to know because they are always around me.

Please reply me through this email addy: helenadoe@yahoo.com

Regards,
Helena Doe (Mrs.)


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam