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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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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)
  • "a security company " (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. Never ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "trunk box" (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)
  • "million 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)
  • "can i completely trust you?" (a common phrase found 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. )
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a orphan scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Gina Fregosi" <sweetgina2@mail.mn>
Reply-To: sweetgina19@hotmail.com
Date: Thu, 5 Jun 2008 12:52:03 +0100
Subject: From Miss Gina Fregosi


From Miss Gina Fregosi
501,I saac Johns St, G.R.A,
Ikeja, P.M.B 625
Lagos, Nigeria

Dear Friend,

How are you doing? I hope you're fine?
My name is Miss Gina Fregosi, the only daughter of Mr and Mrs Richard
Fregosi, I'm 19 Years old, I'm unmarried without kids.

After carefully reading and considering your profile, I wish to apeal for
your help, Unfortuantely, life is not that so good on my side.

My sufferings and ordeals began after my uncle masterminded the mysterious
disappearance and killing of my father in his business trip to France . This
painful lose of my father traumatises me everyday, because I'm living in
difficulty. All the assets of my father has been taken away by my uncles,
due to the fact that I'm not able to carry out any actions against them
because my life is largely treatened. Before the death of my father, I was a
student reading chemical engineering at the university and could not
complete this program due to these problems.

One important thing I would like to tell you is about my father deposit in a
security company, before his death he deposited a Metalic trunk box
containing (10,700,000 Million United States Dollars), in a Security company
run by Sea-Air courier services Subsidiaries which he disguised and declared
the box to contain family valuables instead of money, by this way the
company does not know the true content of the box. I have in my possesion
the deposit document which the company gave to my late father when he
deposited the box with the security company. I really don't know what to do.
This is because I have suffered a lot of set backs as a result of incessant
political crisis here in Nigeria.

The death of my father actually brought sorrow to my life. I am in a sincere
desire of your assistance in this regards. Your suggestions and ideas will
be highly regarded.

Now permit me to ask these few questions:

1. Can you honestly and willingly help me?

2. Can I completely trust you?

3. What percentage of the total amount in question will be good for you
after the money is in your country?

4. Can you stand as my husband to be or my father's business associate
abroad and claim the box from the company because my father declared before
his death that i and my husband should inherit the fund after i am fully
married?

If you decide to positively help me, I will send you the deposit documents
and the informations so that you can contact the security company for
information about the box. Please Consider this and get back to me as soon
as possible.

Thank you so much and God bless you.

Kind regards,
Miss Gina Fregosi

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam