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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)
  • "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "mba akima" <mbaakima3@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 4 Jul 2008 18:16:50 +0100
Subject: MR, MBA akima.


*MR, MBA akima.
BANK OF AFRICAN
**OUAGADOUGOU** BURKINA-FASO**,
**WEST AFRICA**. *
*Dear Friend,*
* *
*I know that this message will come to you as a surprise. I am MR, MBA akima,
the manager of bill and exchange at the foreign remittance department Bank
Of Africa . I Hope that you will not expose or betray this trust and
confident that I am about to repose on you for the mutual benefit of our
both families. *
* *
*I need your urgent assistance in transferring the sum of ($14.6)million to
your account within 14 banking days. This money has been dormant for years
in our Bank without claim. I want the bank to release the money to you as
the nearest person to our deceased customer, the owner of the account died
along with his supposed next of kin in an air crash since July 31st 2000. *
* *
*I don't want the money to go into our Bank treasurer as an abandoned fund.
So this is the reason why i contacted you so that the bank can release the
money to you as the next of kin to the deceased customer. Please I would
like you to keep this proposal as a top secret and delete it if you are not
interested. *
* *
*Upon receipt of your reply,I will give you full details on how the business
will be executed and also note that you will have 30% of the above mentioned
sum if you agree to handle this business with me. *
*Best Regards. *
*
MR, MBA akima. *

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam