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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:
  • "necessary legal documents" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. Never ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "united state of america" (this email uses bad English)
  • "dormant account" (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.

Fraud email example:

From: "=?utf-8?q?Rev.=20Robert=20Willams?=" <rev.robertwillams@yahoo.com.co>
Reply-To: rev.robertwilliamsofficecbn@inmail24.com
Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:52:35 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Dear Friend,


¡Tengo nueva dirección de correo!Ahora puedes escribirme a:rev.robertwillams@yahoo.com.co



- Please Permmit me to introduce my good self, I am Rev.Robert Williams, I am the personal Account Officer to Christian Eich, 57 , a citizen of the United state of America, Christian Eich who ran carmaker BMW's museum, his wife and two children and his wife's parents were involved in the july31 2000 air crash which took the lives of all the occupants of the air craft. please you can read more about what i am explaining to you on this web site:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm well since then, I have made several enquiries to locate any of Christian Eichs extended relatives and This has also proved unsuccessful, so after these several unsuccessful attempt, I have decided to contact you so that the money he deposited in my bank bearlly few months before the air crash can be paid to you as the relative to the late Christian Eich. I have contact you because my Bank may decide to confiscate or declear his acoount unservicable as the banking law stipulates that if any dormant account exceeds the period of nine years with out operating the account shall be confiscated and declered unservicable It is my duty and pleasure to let you that Christian Eich has an account valued at (US$6.8M) in my bnak Particularly the quaranty trust bank plc, where he has the account so i decide to contact you because the money can only be paid to a foreigner and that is why i have contacted you so that you canstand as the next of kin to to this money. I want you know that I am in possesion of some necessary legal documents that can be used to back up any claim we may make. All I requires is your honest co-operation to enable us finalize this deal. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legistimate agreement that will protect you from any breach of law. I am waitting for your swift reply and for more infoYours Faithfully, Rev. Williams

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam