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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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• 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.

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:
  • "dearest one," (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "may come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found 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: "akakoffi@cantv.net" <akakoffi@cantv.net>
Date: Fri, 1 Aug 2008 04:23:07 -0430
Subject: [SPAM] Dearest One,


Spam detection software, running on the system "pinto.websitewelcome.com", has
identified this incoming email as possible spam. The original message
has been attached to this so you can view it (if it isn't spam) or label
similar future email. If you have any questions, see
the administrator of that system for details.

Content preview: Dearest One, I know this mail may come to you as a surprise,
since we have not known or written before. I am AKA KOFFI, 20 years old,
I am contacting you on behalf of myself and my youner SISTER MARINA. We are
an orphans. [...]

Content analysis details: (11.7 points, 5.0 required)

pts rule name description
---- ---------------------- --------------------------------------------------
-0.0 SPF_PASS SPF: sender matches SPF record
-1.0 RP_MATCHES_RCVD Envelope sender domain matches handover relay domain
0.0 HTML_MESSAGE BODY: HTML included in message
1.7 MIME_HTML_ONLY BODY: Message only has text/html MIME parts
1.7 SARE_FRAUD_X4 Matches 4+ phrases commonly used in fraud spam
1.1 HTML_MIME_NO_HTML_TAG HTML-only message, but there is no HTML tag
2.0 ADVANCE_FEE_2 Appears to be advance fee fraud (Nigerian 419)
1.7 SARE_FRAUD_X5 Matches 5+ phrases commonly used in fraud spam
1.4 ADVANCE_FEE_3 Appears to be advance fee fraud (Nigerian 419)
1.5 ADVANCE_FEE_4 Appears to be advance fee fraud (Nigerian 419)
1.7 SARE_FRAUD_X3 Matches 3+ phrases commonly used in fraud spam

The original message was not completely plain text, and may be unsafe to
open with some email clients; in particular, it may contain a virus,
or confirm that your address can receive spam. If you wish to view
it, it may be safer to save it to a file and open it with an editor.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam