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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:
  • "a security company " (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. )
  • "trunk box" (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)
  • "million us 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)
  • "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a orphan 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.
  • misspvivian@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Date:
Subject: Goodday.

Goodday.
Dear One,=20
I am a girl of 22 years old, By name Ms Vivian prince citizen of cote d=
=B4 ivoire. I am still a student in one unniversity in GHANA reading la=
w to be come a lawyer after graduating. i have a very bad problem now a=
nd that is why i'm contacting you for an urgent asisstance.=20

I have a younger brother and my mother died of (T/B) Tuberculoses years=
back. my father's name is MR LATH PRINCE. my father was a well known p=
olitician here in cote d' ivoire. You may heard over the BBC OR CNN con=
cerning the political crisis happening here, and last year the election=
of the country was cancelled because of some problem that is going on =
even till today. This is to tell you how my country is now I thank God =
that i was not at home when what i am about to tell you happened but it=
was a deep shock to me and also what i do not think that i can forget =
so easily.

Is about my father's death my father was murdered in our house here by =
unknown people but after a year now i come to realise that it was the h=
and work of the great poeple in power master minded the act. so i can n=
ot fight them i leave vengeance to God. Now is like my father, know wha=
t is going to happen he call me one day and told me that the has $ 10.2=
,million us dollars with a security company here in Abidjan for safe ke=
eping only. And told me that he use my name as next of kin to that mone=
y, but warn me not to tell any body about this. He told me that he depo=
sited this money as family valueables in a trunk box.

Now i seek your urgent help to have this money been shipped to your cou=
ntry by the security company as my late father partner in business, and=
also to help me get resident permit to come and live with you in your =
country and futher my education there. while you will help me to invest=
the money in your country since i do not know anything concerning busi=
ness.

You will be given some part out of the total sum and this transaction i=
s 100% risk free. And we are to discuss on the percentage which you are=
to take from the total money for your urgent help after comfirming tha=
t you will asisst in this soonest.
Please reply me through my secured email ID:misspvivian@yahoo.fr

Thanks as you reply urgently.=20
Regards
miss Vivian prince

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam