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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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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:
  • "might come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million united state dollars" (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)
  • "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
  • "can i completely trust you?" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "your humble assistance" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
• This email message is a orphan scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Asian American Student Union" <aasu@mail.ku.edu>
Date: Wed, 3 Sep 2008 12:36:43 -0500
Subject: MESSAGE FROM MATTEW BLAKE WILLIAMS

Dear Sir,

I know this might come to you as a surprise but, I plead with you to consider this mail by reading carefully it's Content. My name is Mattew Blake Williams and I come from the southern part of Sudan Rich with oil. My father Schoh Blake Williams was murdered by the Sudan people Liberation army because for accusing them of supplying arms to the Sudan liberation army who raided Al-Fashir and killed many officers and kidnapped General Mohamed Bashir Suleiman.

The death of my father has brought sorrow to my life. But, the only thing I can live for now is that I as my late father's only child am now an heir and next of kin to a trunk steal box worth $40 million united state dollars which my late father deposited with a Security and Finance Company in Ghana.

Dearest one I am in a sincere desire of your humble assistance to be my foreign beneficiary and help me in shipping this box abroad whereby you will invest it in any lucrative business over there in your country and also send for me to continue my education and your advice and suggestions will be highly appreciated by me. Please permit me to humbly ask these few questions:

(1)Can you honestly help me as a Son?
(2)Can I completely trust you?
(3)What percentage of the total amount in question will be good for you after the money is in your position?

Please, consider this and get back to me as soon as possible. This is my fathers account and i am not the only person who has access to this account, his lawyer was the one that gave me this account so definietly he has it so please contact me in my personal email:koffi_williams@live.com

Thank you so much sincerely,
Koffi Williams
koffi_williams@live.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam