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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.

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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:
  • "million 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)
  • "god fearing " (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
• This email message is a "dying widow" scam.

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: gloriarichardburson@yahoo.com
Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2008 18:34:22 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: From Mrs.Gloria Richard Burson


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



- Dear Beloved in Christ, I am Mrs.Gloria Richard Burson, I was married to a foreign Contractor Richard Burson who worked with Chevron Texaco in West Africa for twenty years before he died in the year 2006, May be you must have heard about him in the oil firm. We were married for thirty-seven years without a child.. He died in a plane crash abroad Egypt Air Flight 990, which crashed in to the Atlantic Ocean on October 31st,1999(news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/502503.stm) My Dear, this is how I be came a widow it was a painful experience that I have in my life I couldn’t believe that my lovely husband will live me without a word because we truly love and care for ourselves and before his death we were both born again Christians. Since his death I decided not to re-marry. As the case maybe, I be came illness two months after his death, Presently, I'm with my laptop in a hospital where I have been Undergoing treatment for cancer of the lungs I have since lost my ability to talk and my doctors have told me that I have only a few months to live. Beloved, when my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of $16 million (SIXTEEN MILLION DOLLARS) with metropolitan and allied bank plc in west Africa Presently, this money is still with the metropolitan and allied bank Plc and the management just wrote me as the beneficiary to come Forward to receive the money but I can not go due to my condition now and I wrote to them and informed them my condition. Then they ask me to issue a letter of authorization to somebody to receive it on my behalf if I can not come over and I have nobody that can help me accept GOD maybe through you. I want a person that is God fearing that will use this money to fund churches, orphanages and widows propagating the word of God and to ensure that the house of God is maintained.That is why i chosen you as a Child of GOD.and you will pay my hospital bills and 5% of this money will be giving to merry the Doctor's daughter who is assisting me to write you and 10% to my lawyer who will assist you.I await to read from you as soon as possible. Best regards, Mrs.Gloria Richard Burson.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam