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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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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:

• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "Paul Matthews" <pmatthews@yahoo.co.uk> (may be fake)
Reply-To: pmatth_ews1@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Fri, 23 Nov 2007 14:41:26 +0000
Subject: Trust!

Good day,

I am Paul Matthews and I am a researcher with a notable Genealogists and International Probate Researching firm here in the United Kingdom. We are one of the UK's leading firms of genealogists. Based in London we have over 40 highly trained staff, as well as agents and correspondents throughout the world. We specialize in probate research to locate missing heirs and beneficiaries. We can also help you find wills, obtain copies of certificates, help you to administer an estate, as well as calculating how an estate, intestacy or trust should be distributed.

Nevertheless, the reason I am contacting you is to make a direct proposal to you. By virtue of my position as a senior probate researcher, I have discovered a file to which no claim has been made over the years. I have personally made sure I put this file in my personal vault until such a time I find a similar name I could communicate with to work with me get this off the way. This claim is ready to be processed by my humble self and payment affected promptly. Please, this is very important as the Government of the United Kingdom is on the verge of confiscating it.

If you are interested, do get back to me as soon as possible stating your full names, address, telephone and mobile phone number.

Thank you and do have a good day.

Paul Matthews

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam