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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:
  • "dear beloved," (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million 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)
  • "keep this confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "god fearing " (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
• 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.
  • mrs.elizabethsmith@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs.Elizabeth Smith" <mrselizabethmmith@yahoo.co.uk>
Reply-To: mrs.elizabethmmith@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:21:59 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: Greetings From Mrs. Elizabeth Smith,


Dear Beloved,
Greetings to you in the most wonderful name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, his richest blessings shall be upon you forever. I am Mrs. Elizabeth Smith, I am 52 years old from Netherlands I am suffering from a long time cancer of the Lungs and Pneumonia which also disordered my mental system long time ago, from all indication my conditions is really deteriorating and it is quite obvious that, according to my doctors they have advised me that I may not live for the a long period of time, this is because the cancer stage has gotten to a very bad stage. I was brought up from a motherless babies home, was married to my late husband for twenty years without a child.
My husband died in a fatal auto accident on his way to work on a broad day light. Before his death we were true Christians. Since his death I decided not to re-marry, I sold all my inherited belongings and deposited all the sum of $8..5million dollars with a Bank in United States because I trust the US Bank system, they are honesty people, because we spent our lifetime there and my late husband worked there all his life with an oil company (Chevron Petroleum Plc.) Presently, this money is still with the Bank in US and the management just wrote me as the true owner to come forward to receive the money for keeping it so long or rather issue a letter of authorization to somebody whom I trust to receive it on my behalf because of my illness or they get it traded on or diverted to the Federal Account.
Presently, I'm with my old laptop in the hospital where I have been undergoing treatment for cancer of the lungs together with the Pneumonia disease.
Since then I have lost my ability to talk and my doctors have told me that I have only a short time to live. It is my last wish to see that this money is invested to any organization of your choice and distributed each year among the charity organization, the poor and the motherless baby’s home where I come from. I want you to be a God fearing person, to also use this money to fund churches, orphanages, widows and the less privileges because there is nothing to live for any more, and it is said that blessed are those that giveth to the ones that findeth.
I took this decision, before I rest in peace because my time will soon be up. As soon as I receive your reply I shall tell you what to do to get in contact with the Bank in US.
I will also issue you a letter of authority that will prove you as the new beneficiary of my fund. Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I stated herein. I shall wait for your prayerful reply, thanking you in His precious name.
May God Bless You Abundantly for your considerations and seeing reasons why we must help the poor and the less privileges I want you to keep this Confidential as soon as I hear from you I will give you the contact of my British attorney in London who will handle legal part of the transactions, he is a very honesty ever if I die today he will still take my instructions towards this matter, please I trust you because I no you will not disappoint me.
Reply me with this my private e-mail as soon as possible, mrs.elizabethsmith@yahoo.co.uk
Your`s in Christ
Mrs. Elizabeth Smith


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam