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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.

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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)
  • "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned 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.
  • koffi_azizi@mail.md (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "infor file" <infor2@ldsliving.com>
Date: Wed, 16 Jul 2008 21:19:16 +0100
Subject: URGENT REPLY NEED FROM YOU IMMEDIATELY


*Dear Friend
I am writing you from Cotonou, republic of Benin. I work in a bank here and
there is the sum of $11.5M floating in a dormant account that belongs to a
late Mr Bill Galer our customer who died along side his younger brother in
the plane crash of December 2003. **
www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/*<http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/>
*I will like this money to be transfered into your account as the next of
kin of the Mr Bill Galer because the money will automatically go into
government treasury at the end of this year. Reply this mail while I furnish
you on how this will work out. *
*Yours faithfully,
Dr Koffi Azizi*
*contact email;**koffi_azizi@mail.md* <koffi_azizi@mail.md>

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam