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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "you have to be fast" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
  • "dear beneficiary," (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.

Fraud email example:

From: "w.union11 Gazeta.pl" <w.union11@gazeta.pl>
Date: Wed, 2 Jul 2008 16:02:19 +0100
Subject: Your Urgent Attention Needed!


Dear Beneficiary,

This is the western union office in Ghana, It my privilege to inform you
about your Fund that was brought to us here in our office by some Banks in
Europe / West Africa and Togo. it was brought to us with the bank transfer
slip, bearing your name as the beneficiary of the fund worth over millions
of united state dollars. You have to follow the western union procedure so
that your funds can be transferred to you bit by bit over there in your
country. I want you to kindly forward your information to this email
address: (western.union@ymail.com) to enable us proceed with the transfer.
You have to be fast, so that your fund can be remitted to you on time.

Best regards.
Mr. Mike Turey
Tel: +233246944153
Ghana Western Union Manager.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam