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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
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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • ",500,000" (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)
  • "00,000.00" (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)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "Samuel" <office1@witmails.org>
Reply-To: sammy844@live.com
Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:07:25 +0000
Subject: I GREET YOU IN THE NAME OF GOD




I GREEET YOU IN THE NAME OF GOD.

I am using this opportunity to seek for your help. I am Samuel Muyiwa Ige 23 years old without Parents.My father was the Late Chief Justice of Nigeria,chief Justice Bola Ige. He was Brutally assasinated during our country's political upheavals of December 23 2001 violence,which resulted in a civil crises that Have presently come to Order. After then my mother was hospitalized as a result of the shock and gave up the ghost a year later in a hospital.

Before now, I wanted to contact an African who will assist me in this business but later a friend of mine cautioned me that there are fraud activities in most of these African countries.I then decided to search under internet online business directories in your country.When I came across your address, I was touched, there and then I made up my mind to contact you.I don't expect that you will ignore me because if you help me out of this situation is for the sake of God who made it clear in the Holy Bible that whatsoever you expect somebody to do for you, do the same to them, so there is a blessing for every assistance.

Before the death of my father, He Deposited the sum of USD$5,500,000.00(Five Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars) For the purpose of establishing a reputable hotel before his demise.This fund was deposited in a Finance Institution. This fund he deposited was for a hotel business he wanted to establish and also for Security in case of any unforeseen circumstance.

I need your help to:

1) To help me make proper arrangement in retrieving this fund from the financial institution and transfer it into your account in your country.

2) Help me come over to your country for this purpose of establishing a reputable hotel which was the wish of my father and also for my studies.

I Will discuss your interest if you are ready to help me.

I will wait for your kind response.

Yours truly,
Samuel M Ige.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam