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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:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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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:
  • "search for a reliable person" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • ",500,000" (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)
  • "00,000.00" (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)
  • "await your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
• This email message is a next of kin 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.
  • walhenshaw@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Late Boss Oil Firm." <walhenshaw@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2008 22:26:01 +0300
Subject: Assistance Regards My Late Boss.


Attention,

It is with heartfelt hope that I write to seek your co-operation and
assistance in the context stated below, I am Mr.Walter Henshaw, the personal
assistant to the Late Mr. Richard Williams. I got your contact during my
search for a reliable person I could do business with, though I do not know
you but I seek to ask a favour from you as this will sincerely benefit the
both of us and all parties involved.

My Late Boss was an Executive Officer of a leading Oil and Servicing Firm
for 10 years and he was retired on the 28th day of September 2006. After a
month, He and his entire family died on their way to a Conference in an
Automobile crash on the 11th day of November 2006. Before his death my Boss
had a total sum of $10,500,000.00(USD) with a Financier House in Europe,
hoping of transferring the funds to his Country {United Kingdom} after his
retirement as soon as he comes back from the conference. According to the
{DEED OF WILL} made be my late Boss, He wrote {DEED OF WILL} that if
anything should happen to him, that I should make sure I locate any of his
family members. Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for
close to a year now, I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin
to the deceased. I agree to pay you 50% of the fund as the account owner,
50% for me.

Please do provide the following information for the application processing.
1. Your full name:
2. Contact address:
3. Email:
4. Phone number for verbal communication:
5. Age (Date of Birth):
6. Occupation:

All this information will enable me write an application to the company on
your behalf, and present you to the company as the real next of kin to my
late Boss. All required is your honest cooperation to enable us seeing this
business successful. I guarantee that this will be executed under a
legitimate arrangement which will protect you from any breach of the law.
Late Richard Williams was a very good man and it is not wise for me to allow
his hard earned wealth to be stolen by the greedy directors of the Company.
Please note that this email is with no intent of getting you upset in anyway
but just a proposal I believe will be of mutual benefit to both of us. I
strongly await your urgent response for effective process.

Regards,
Mr. Walter Henshaw.
walhenshaw@gmail.com.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam