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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
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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:
  • "contact me immediately" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "foreign exchange" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
• 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.
  • mark_lee123@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Dr Mark Dokubo <dr_do1234@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2008 03:07:13 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Please I need your help.


P {
=09MARGIN: 0px
}
UL {
=09MARGIN-TOP: 5px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 5px
}
OL {
=09MARGIN-TOP: 5px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 5px
}
From: Dr Mark Lee=A0=A0=A0=A0=20
Director: Audit/Account Unit
Foreign=20
Remittance=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=20
Eco Bank of Africa.
20 Aba Road, Port=20
Harcourt,
Nigeria.
E-mail: mark_lee123@yahoo.com=20

=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=20
=A0=20
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=
=A0=A0=A0=A0 PLEASE, TREAT AS=20
ABSOLUTELY CONFIDENTIAL
=A0=20
=A0 My name is Dr=A0 Mark Lee. I am one of the=20
senior managers in the bank .I work for Eco Bank of Africa Nigeria and I wo=
rk=20
under the director of foreign Exchange Operations (Eco Bank of Africa plc) =
I am=20
contacting you presently because I need your urgent assistance in a busines=
s=20
transaction that will be of immense benefit to both of us. I have the immed=
iate=20
need to transfer some fund that has been declared UNCLAIMED by the chairman=
and=20
some members of the board of directors of our bank.=A0 The fund is the clos=
ing=20
balance of one of our best customer who died in the crash. I was his person=
al=20
account officer just before he died in the ADC plane crash of 1997 in Abidj=
an.=20
He was a Japanese citizen, a contractor to the Federal government of Nigeri=
a, he=20
supplied and installed equipments and his company Creek Contractors complet=
ed=20
some of the best construction contracts in the country. His closing balance=
in=20
the bank US 14M has been tagged unclaimed because no relations of his has c=
ome=20
to make a statement of claim. We have no knowledge of a next of kin to him.
=A0=20

=A0 At this point I trust you can picture what situation is like. We have=
=20
strong prove that the chairman and the board of directors will keep most of=
the=20
funds for themselves and donate the remainder to a discredited military tru=
st=20
fund in Nigeria. This invariably is an attempt to infuse more money into th=
e=20
acquisition of military equipment (arms and ammunitions) for use in an alre=
ady=20
prostrate Africa. This of course, is senseless hence my mission. My colleag=
ues=20
and I have made several attempts at locating that could be remotely related=
to=20
him and we have been doing this for=A0 years now.
=A0=20
=A0 Right now I am almost=20
alone in enterprise and I have presently decided on moving the fund to a fo=
reign=20
account. I am hereby soliciting your assistance and I will be very grateful=
if=20
you will be willing to help in this regard. I have worked out a plan to han=
dle=20
this transaction in carefully followed stages. You will help by providing a=
safe=20
bank account into which the fund will be paid and you will stand as a next =
of=20
kin to the deceased.=A0 I will provide you with answers to security questio=
ns,=20
which you will have to answer. I will also, provide answers to questions th=
at=20
only a person related to him will know. If you follow my instructions close=
ly,=20
we will successfully conclude this transaction in 14 working days.=20

=A0
=A0Every thing should be concluded on phone and fax between you and the=20
bank. For you participation you will be compensated with 35%, 5% is set asi=
de=20
for all the expenses incurred=A0 by both parties. 60% will be kept in trust=
in=20
your account prior to my arrival for the sharing. I make this proposal in t=
rust=20
and in good faith, therefore if you are interested and you agree to assist =
me=20
then contact me immediately you receive this email. There is a lot more to =
talk=20
about. If you are not interested, then please do get rid of this mail and p=
lease=20
forgive me if this message has upset you anyway.=A0 Thank you and best rega=
rds,=20
Please contact me with this email if you are=A0=A0 interested.
=A0=20
=A0 Dr Mark=20
Lee=0A=0A=0A

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam