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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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 friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "hundred thousand united states 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)
  • "contact me immediately" (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.
  • amm_dd_2008@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "amara bedie" <amarabedie@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 26 May 2008 21:22:35 +0000
Subject: VERY URGENT AND CONFIDENTIAL.


FROM THE DESK OF Mr AMARA BEDIE.
AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING MANAGER,
BANK OF AFRICA (B.O.A)
OUAGADOUGOU-BURKINA FASO.
WEST AFRICA.

Alsalamaleikom
Dear Friend,
I know that this message will come to you as a surprise.I am the AUDITING
AND ACCOUNTING MANAGER in the Bank of Africa (B.O.A). here in Ouagadougou,
Burkina Faso.
I Hoped that you will not expose or betray this trust and confident that i
am about to repose on you for the mutual benefit of our both families.
There is an account opened in this bank in 1999 and since 2001 till this
year 2008 nobody has operated on this account again. After going through
some old files in the records,I discovered that if I do not remit this money
out urgently it will be transfered into the bank treasury as unclaimed fund
I don,t want this money to go away or forfeited for nothing as an unclaimed
fund that is why i,m contacting you to assist me to transfer this money into
your bank account over there. The account belongs to one of our foreign
customer(MR. ANDREAS SCHRANNER from Munich, Germany), Business Man and a
miner at Kruger Gold Company, a Geologist by profession and he died since
2000. Ever then no other person knows this account or anything concerning
it, the account has no other beneficiary and my investigation proved to me
as well that this company does not know anything about this account and the
money involved is Eleveen million three hundred thousand united states
dollars ($11.3million). I am only contacting you as a foreigner because of
the fact that the customer was a foreigner and a Burkinabe cannot stand as
next of kin to a foreigner.
You can view the web site bellow for more information on our late client.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm

With my position in the office I don't want anything that will jeopardize my
job so I advice that we should make secrecy and confidentiality our primary
working condition, bearing in mind that I am a public servant. I will also
use my position to influence our members and to make this fund successfully
transfer to you.
I agree that 30% of this money will be for you as a respect to the provision
of a foriegn account , 10% will be set aside for expenses incurred during
the business and 60% would be for me Thereafter, I will visit your country
for disbursement according to the percentage indicated Therefore, to enable
the immediate transfer of this fund to you as arranged,you must apply first
to the bank as relation or next of kin of the deceased indicating your bank
name, your bank account number, your private telephone and fax number for
easy and effective communication and location where in the money will be
remitted.
Upon receipt of your reply, I will send to you by fax or email the text of
the application form which you fill and send to the bank for approval.
I will not fail to bring to your notice that this transaction is hitch-free
and that you should not entertain any atom of fear.You should contact me
immediately as soon as you receive this letter. Trusting to hear from you
immediately. Please do copy and send your reply to this my private email;
amm_dd_2008@yahoo.com

Thanks yours Faithfully,
Mr AMARA BEDIE.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam