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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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• 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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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:
  • "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)
  • ",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)
  • "utmost confidentiality" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "my direct telephone number" (a "direct line" in a scam usually means an untraceable mobile phone number used by a scammer in an internet cafe, a redirection service number that forwards to a mobile or a free voicemailbox in a different country.)
• 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.
  • mr_jamesayite@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "mr_jamesayite@yahoo.com" <james_ayite1@gazeta.pl>
Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2008 17:42:28 +0200
Subject: FOLLOW IT UP AND GET BACK TO ME OR CALL ON 00228 92 105 14


*Attention.

My name is Mr James Ayite I am the audit manager of one of the prime banks
here (name witheld for security reasons).

I have a business proposal in the tune of twenty one million, five hundred
thousand united states dollars$21,500,000.00. This fund was discovered as
unclaim fund with no tress of owner during my audit at the Bank for the
second quater of the year ended june 2007.
**
After the successful transfer, we shall share in ratio of 35% for you and
65% for me, while 10 percent for the expence that may occur in the
transction.

Should it interest you, please contact me through my email or request for my
direct telephone number for a more verbal update as to enable us commence
all arrangements and I will give you more information on how we would handle
this project.

Please treat this business with utmost confidentiality and send me the
following.

1 Full names,................................................
2 private phone number.......................................
3 current residential address, ..............................
4 Occupationn......................................
5 Age and Proffession.........................................

Kind Regards,
Mr.James Ayite.*
*E-mail..... mr_jamesayite@yahoo.com*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam