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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:

• 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)
  • "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)
  • "% will be for you" (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)
  • "keep this confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "liberia" (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.
  
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • prince4u@operamail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Prince Osai" <osai.prince@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2008 09:53:45 -0700
Subject: RELATIONSHIP


Dear Friend,

I am Prince Osai a Liberian and because of the war in
Liberia my dad company was destroyed and my parent's were killed by rebel
militants who invaded my dad company, but my dad was able to reveal to me
that he deposited a funds of an amount of $10.5 Million USD in a safe trunk
box with a security company in Ghana and he warned me that i should look for
someone whom i will trust and will take me like his own Son to protect and
invest the funds for me until when i am of aged and now i have been able to
locate the security company here in my country Ghana and the security.
company director also confirm the genuity of the trunk box to me

So now i am seeking for your assistant to help me to help me
clear the treasured trunk box from the security company and have it deliver
to you in your country for the funds inside it be invested into any
lucrative business venture that will yield us a better profit and for
your acceptance to assist me 35% will be for your assistant.

I also want you to know that my dad warned me never to reveal
the
content of the box to the company because he told me that he deposited it as
a family valuable and i also want you to keep this confidential to your self
, do not reveal it to any body and not even to the representative from the
security company that will deliver the
treasured trunk box to you in your country.

If you are willing to help me get back to me with your
personal
information and i will reply back to you with the contact information of my
father's barrister and he will show you the deposit document of the box in
the security company for your view which will also give you the legal
permission to contact the company on my behalf as my legal beneficiary for
further informations on how to receive the box in your country. Am waiting
to receive your quick reply.

Sincerely,
Prince Osai.
Email: prince4u@operamail.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam