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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• 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:

• 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:
  • "top of the day to you" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• 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.
  • dr.solomokoffi@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "SOLOMON KOFFI" <drsolomonkoffi051@ig.com.br>
Date: Sun, 3 Aug 2008 06:02:52 +0200
Subject: DEAR,INQUIRIES UPDATE ME URGENTLY!!!.


Dear Friend,

Top of the day to you. Let me crave your indulgence to introduce myself to
you, I am Dr.Solomon Koffi staff of one of the leading Banks here in Cotonou
Benin Republic. I will want to solicit for your assistance to help receive
an inheritance sum due for claim to one of our late customers, Mr. Thomas
Eugene Green, He died in automobile accident with members of his family.

I happen to be the Resident internal controller in the branch where he
deposited the total sum of $9.7Million USD on the 6th of June 2005, It was
discovered from his personal attorney that he did not state in his WILL any
next of kin to claim this funds, we have sent routine notification to his
forwarding address and discovered that he does not have anyone to claim this
funds.

It is very unwise to allow this man's fruit of labour to go into the wrong
hands because no one has come forward to claim the funds.

Thus my proposal to you is to stand as his next of kin to claim the funds,
His personal attorney has worked things out and I am willing to furnish you
with neccessary information the bank here will demand from you during the
process of this transaction.
Please if you are willing to assist, I will want you to furnish me with your
particulars, so as to enable me give you further details. Please, you have
to be an honest and trusted person. Please contact me on my alternative
email on dr.solomokoffi@yahoo.fr for more

information with the below informations filled out.
NAME: .............................
MAILING ADDRESS:...................
AGE: ..............................
STATUS:............................
STATE/COUNTRY:.....................
TEL/FAX NUMBERS:...................
CELL PHONE:........................
COMPANY NAME: .....................
OCCUPATION: .......................
I look forward to working with you.
Regards,
Dr.Solomon Koffi

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam