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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
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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:

• 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)
  • "diplomatic courier" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
  • "contact the diplomat" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
  • "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
• This email message is a "dying merchant" scam.

Fraud email example:

From: Ayman Alzawa <a.alzawa@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 29 May 2008 16:54:10 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: From Mr, Alzawa Ayman.


I hope my email meets you well. My name is Ayman Al Zawa. I am in the Engineering military unit here in Baghdad in Iraq , with Oesophageal cancer which has defiled all forms of medical treatment, and right now I have only about a few weeks/month to live, according
to medical experts. My late 2 colleagues who died last month in a bomb blast and I found a huge sum of $4.5 Million USD in Baghdad neighbourhood, that we have successfully moved out of the Money to London via a diplomatic courier service.

I am contacting you because i want you to help with claiming of this merchandise and help me distribute them to charity organizations and homeless people. I feel distributing the funds would be a way to appease the LORD and also want God to be merciful to me and my late friends and also accept our souls, because we have killed so many in the war, but we where only serving our country.

I have decided to give this sum 0f $4.5 Million USD to charity organizations, as I want this to be one of the last good deeds I do on earth. I will want you to help me collect this consignment and dispatched it to charity organizations like I have said earlier. I have set aside 20% for you and your time. The most important thing is that can I TRUST you once the funds get to you? And also would you distribute the rest 80% to charity organizations? Your own part of this deal is to contact the DIPLOMATIC COURIER SERVICE on how the consignment can be released and sent down to your home address and also find a safe
place where the funds can be kept.

But the hole process is simple and we must keep a low profile at all times because if the authorities are aware of this funds, it would be seized and used for purchasing amenities, irrelevant accessories, where by we have so many sick homeless kids dying with hunger. If you are interested I will furnish you with more details. I am awaiting your urgent response.

Respectfull,
Ayman.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam