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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.

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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)
  • "confidentiality of this transaction" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "remain blessed" (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.
  
• 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.
  • egobia23401@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: EGOBIA <eblessing@telegraf.by>
Reply-To: egobia23401@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Sat, 31 May 2008 05:28:29 -0700
Subject: Urgent Reply


--
Dear Friend,
My name is Egobia Blessing, I have a Business Proposal of US$15.5M (Fifteen
Million Five Hundred United States Dollars for you to handle with me from my
bank i work with. Should you be interested,please send me your full
names,private phone/fax number to email address (egobia23401@yahoo.com.hk)
After successful concussion of this transaction, we shall share the money
50-50 (50% for you and 50% for me). I await your good response today. Thanks
and remain blessed. I require you to maintain the confidentiality of this
transaction because it is important due to the fact that I am still in
active services to the Bank and finally after that I shall provide you with
more details of this operation.

Kind Regards,
Egobia Blessing.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam