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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.

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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:
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • francoisadams@consultant.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: francoisadams2030@zipmail.com.br
Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2007 15:42:33 +0000
Subject: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Hello?=

Hello,
I wish to inform you that your email address which was extracted from the
internet came up in a random draw conducted by our firm. It was according
to the wish of my late client.

My name is Barrister Francois Adams, a personal attorney to my late client
Mr. James Harrison who used to work with an oil firm in Nigeria. The late
James Harrison, a well known philanthropist, before he died, he made a will
stating that $7.2 {seven million and two hundred thousand USA Dollars} should
be donated to any philanthropist of our choice over seas who will be ready
to use this fund to help the less privilege.

We have made a random draw that your email address was picked as the beneficiary
to this will.

I am particularly intereted in securing this fund from the bank, because
they have issued a notice that we should provide the beneficiary to this
will withine two weeks or else the fund will be credited to the government
treasury as per law here. It is my altmost desire to excute the will of
our late client.

You are required to contact me on this email address francoisadams@consultant.com
for further details.

Regards,
Francois Adams.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam