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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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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • anonym_234@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "anonym m" <anonym1@amele.com>
Date: Tue, 1 Jul 2008 20:28:11 +0200
Subject: 1st July 2008


1st July 2008



Dear Friend,



I wish you a pleasant day. I am contacting you because of my need to find a
worthy individual to stand-in as the administrator to the estate of my late
client Mr. Bjorn Vorster (An Independent Foreign Investor).



This estate is worth Fifty-four Million Nine Hundred Thousand South African
Rands and I work as an attorney in a law firm of repute in South Africa
which is why I am looking for an individual who can be trusted with the
responsibility of administering his Estate at my instruction. This will be
very rewarding for both parties upon completion since I intend to give you
thirty percent of the total funds for your role. For the record, there is no
surviving relative to Mr. Vorster and I know this as his personal attorney
and close confidant.



I will ensure that the every thing is done within the applicable laws of the
country to guarantee full legitimacy. If you accept, kindly forward your
letter of acceptance so that we can proceed to the next phase. Please reply
to (anonym_234@hotmail.com)



Thank you

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam