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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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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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)
  • "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "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)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "isaamalim03 Gazeta.pl" <isaamalim@yahoo.fr>
Date: Mon, 26 May 2008 11:15:40 +0000
Subject: REPLY URGENTLY FROM ISAAM ALIM


DEAR FRIEND,


I KNOW THIS MESSAGE WILL COME TO YOU AS A SURPRISE LET ME START BY
INTRODUCING MYSELF I AM MR. ISAAM ALIM. I WORK IN THE AUDIT/ACCOUNTING BANK
OF AFRICAN (BOA) OUAGADOUGOU BURKINA FASO I NEED YOUR URGENT ASSISTANCE IN
TRANSFERRING THE SUM OF (USD$22.3)MILLION TO YOUR ACCOUNT WITHIN 10 TO 14
BANKING DAYS. THIS MONEY HAS BEEN DORMANT FOR YEARS IN OUR BANK WITHOUT
CLAIM. I WANT THE BANK TO RELEASE THE MONEY TO YOU AS THE NEAREST PERSON TO
OUR DECEASED CUSTOMER (THE OWNER OF THE ACCOUNT) DIED ALONG WITH HIS
SUPPOSED NEXT OF KIN IN AN AIR CRASH SINCE JULY, 2000.

I DON'T WANT THE MONEY TO GO INTO OUR BANK TREASURER ACCOUNT AS AN ABANDONED
FUND. SO THIS IS THE REASON WHY I CONTACTED YOU SO THAT THE BANK CAN RELEASE
THE MONEY TO YOU AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO THE DECEASED CUSTOMER. PLEASE I WOULD
LIKE YOU TO KEEP THIS PROPOSAL AS A TOP SECRET AND DELETE IT IF YOU ARE NOT
INTERESTED.

UPON RECEIPT OF YOUR REPLY, I WILL GIVE YOU FULL DETAILS ON HOW THE BUSINESS
WILL BE EXECUTED AND ALSO NOTE THAT YOU WILL HAVE 30% OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED
SUM IF YOU AGREE TO HANDLE THIS BUSINESS WITH ME AND 10% WILL BE SET ASIDE
FOR ANY EXPENSES THAT WARRANT ON THE PROCESS BEFORE THE FUND GET INTO YOUR
BANK ACCOUNT.

BEST REGARDS.
MR ISAAM ALIM

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam