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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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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)
  • "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. )
  • "million dollars" (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)
  • "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.
  

Fraud email example:

From: michael idris <mikeidris2007@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2008 07:09:14 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: important mail, please give urgent respond



Dear friend,
Please read this important mail very carefully.
=A0
My name is Mike Idris. I am 21 years old. I am from Ivory coast. I have a s=
mall problem that I want you to help me. I lost my father recently. My late=
father was a christian and used to trade between here and Liberia. He was =
able to make fund deposit in a security company amounting to sum of $2,000,=
000 (two million dollars). He kept this fund in a security company because =
as at that time there was a civil war here. Now there is peace and most peo=
ple are leaving or retrieving their fund for investment I want to leave the=
country.
=A0
Now I need a freind to act as my beneficiary to this fund. To retrieve this=
fund you need to be working or running a business and have a reliable acco=
unt where you will keep this fund when it gets to you. As soon as the fund =
gets to you deduct 20% for yourself and keep the rest so that I will invest=
.. I have no mother, father nor brother and sister. I will only trust you to=
help me. We can do investment together and make profit for ourselves.
=A0
Please write back and give me your telephone number so that I will call you=
and also apply for this fund from the security company and transfer it to =
regular bank account you will give me. God bless you,
=A0
Mike Idris.

=0A=0A=0A

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam