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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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:
  • "huge amount of money" (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)
  • "utmost confidentiality" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • ming_executives@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Huang, Hui" <hhuan01@emory.edu>
Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2008 08:58:39 -0400
Subject: MESSAGE FROM: MR. MING YANG...(REPLY TO MY PRIVATE EMAIL).




MESSAGE FROM: MR. MING YANG.

Hang Seng Bank Ltd
Sai Wan Ho Branch
171 Shaukiwan Road
Hong Kong.

Good Day,

I sincerely hope that this letter will not come to you as a surprise or an embarrassment since we neither knew each other before nor had any neither previous correspondence/ contact. Let me start by introducing myself. I am Mr. Ming Yang, Director of Operations of the Hang Seng Bank Ltd, Sai Wan Ho Branch, Hong Kong. I have an obscured business suggestion for you.

I am here-by seeking your service in giving a clear research and feasibility studies on areas I could invest on. Your services will be paid for, and you will be a partner, if your recommendation is accepted.

As a bank employee, I can not operate any personal investment till I am retired and with the Anti-corruption Bill passed in Hong Kong; it is risky for a fixed income earner to own any huge amount of money in Hong Kong or any foreign country. It is then advisable to invest in any foreign land secretly and patiently wait for retirement.

You are to handle everything personally and with utmost confidentiality, if my proposal is acceptable as I may not be able to travel down, since I must obtain an official clearance before leaving this territory.

Note importantly that, this is a confidential proposal and must be treated as such because the banking sector has commenced probing of all senior banking officials that have served in the past and presently in service.

For security purpose, due to telecom interception in Hong Kong, I shall not accept or acknowledge any phone call. Only fax messages/emails would be treated in relation to this proposal but not without this code; [CODE NO: ZX1-121]. Should you be further interested, I would prefer you to reach me on this email address: (ming_executives@yahoo.com.hk) and finally after that I shall provide you with more details of this operation.

Kind Regards
Mr. Ming Yang
Private Email: ming_executives@yahoo.com.hk

This e-mail message (including any attachments) is for the sole use of
the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged
information. If the reader of this message is not the intended
recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution
or copying of this message (including any attachments) is strictly
prohibited.

If you have received this message in error, please contact
the sender by reply e-mail message and destroy all copies of the
original message (including attachments).

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam