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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "necessary legal documents" (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. )
  • "hundred thousand 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)
  • "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "my direct telephone number" (a "direct line" in a scam usually means an untraceable mobile phone number used by a scammer in an internet cafe, a redirection service number that forwards to a mobile or a free voicemailbox in a different country.)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr.Cyprian Mark" <mrcyprianmark02@sohu.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: mr.cyprain_mark@box.az
Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2008 02:49:37 +0000
Subject: Get back to me for more details

Dear friend,

First, I must solicit your confidence in this letter. I am Mr. Cyprian Mark, the director of Assets and Treasures in a deposit company where I work. I am writing you this letter to seek your partnership cooperation in receiving a total amount of $13.7M USD (Thirteen Million, Seven Hundred Thousand US Dollars), which was deposited with our company here in enegal. This total amount was deposited as a family treasure with my company by late Mr. Andreas Schranner, a German citizen.

Mr. Andreas Schranner who died along with his wife and other passengers in Air France flight AF4590 crashed on Monday, 31 July, 2000, 13:22 GMT 14:22 UK, near Paris. On more information about the death of Mr. Andreas Schranner, SEE THE LINK BELOW (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/859479.stm)

Since the untimely death of Mr. Andreas Schranner and his family, the management of my company has mandated my office to make several enquiries to locate any of his extended relatives, but no fruitful result was achieved as all my efforts also proved unsuccessful to locate any member of his family. Before my observation in this development, I discovered that late Mr. Andreas Schranner did not make an HEIR/WILL. The management has been delibrating on how to revert this fund to the company's account since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over 8 years. It is therefore upon this discovery that I and my junior colleague in my department decide to seek your consent to present you as the next of kin or relation to the deceased so that we will quickly move this money out of Senegal to be delivered in your care as the next of kin or relation entitled to inherit this fund.

All arrangement to move this deposited fund has been put in place and all I require is your honest and sincere partnership co-operation to enable us see this money delivered to you. As an insider in the company, I have all the necessary legal documents that will back up the claim of this deposit and I guarantee you that this fund movement will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect both of us from any breach of the law. On smooth delivery of this total deposited fund to you, you will be entitled to your own share of the total sum as gratification. We agreed that 20% of this money will be for you as our receiving partner, while 80% would be for me and my junior colleague. Thereafter I will visit your country for disbursement and further investment plans.

You have been advised to keep this information a top secret as we are still working in the company and intend to resign from service after this money is delivered to you. I shall furnish you with further details and necessary procedures with which to make a quick shipment progress. I suggest you get back to me immediately through my direct telephone number 00221 772160293 OR this confidential email address stating your wish in this urgent matter.

Thanks for your anticipated cooperation and best regards.

Yours sincerely,

Mr. Cyprian Mark.
Direct Tel: 00221 772160293.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam