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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "the consignment" (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)
  • "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)
  • "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "god fearing " (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.

Fraud email example:

From: freduseni@freenet.de
Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2008 15:16:17 +0100
Subject: VERY URGENT HELP


I Mr. Fred Useni am the former managing director of Nigeria Port
Authority [NPA] Calabar Branch, I am from Liverpool UK and I have being
working here in Nigeria with [NPA] for about 26 years, so I have been in
the country all my life.

My purpose of contacting you is that I need
your urgent assistance. I have be resign in my company [NPA] and I have
paid my retirement benefit which is about N968, 000,000 Nine hundred and
sixty eight million naira of which I have converted to Dollars $5.7
million Dollars. After I converted the money, I went straight to the
Western Union Money Transfer [WUMT] to pay the money, but to my surprise
they told me that I can’t pay such money through [WUMT] so I have
to look for other means of which I can send the money out of the country
and also travel out to meet the person that will help me.

Now I have
found a way of sending the money out of the country Nigeria through a
courier Diplomat service which I have met with one of the official that
promise to help me out if only I will give him some money of with I have
agree to give him $5,000 out of the money and I have made necessary
arrangement concerning the money and I have package the remaining of the
money in a box which is $5.2 million and I have arrange for my flight
ticket back to my country to invest in a lucrative business.

More so,
I have concluded with all arrangement so what I need now is a trust
worthy person that I can trust to help me out so the money will be
delivered to the person, at is door step, then I will travel to meet
with the person, if you are God fearing and willing to help, then all I
need from you is just the following information about you:

#Your Full
Name which is the receiver name.
#Contact Address where the consignment
will be delivered.
#Nationality.
# OCCUPATION.
# Sex.
#Age
#Marital
Status.
#Phone Number for easy communication,

Furthermore, you are
going to have 20% of the total money and 80% will be for me also you
have to note that this transaction is between both of us and there will
be no third party. These transaction will take only five [5] working
days as the consignment will get to you in four [4] days.

Please if
you are willing to help, please send the above information to my private
email box: freduseni_555@live.com

counting on your
co-operation
Yours Faithfully,
Mr. Fred Useni.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam