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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
  (+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:

• 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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "very confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "i have a new email address!" (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • b.akubiyawa@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: b.akubiyawa@hotmail.com
Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2008 05:07:44 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: With all due respect dear friend confirm receipt.


I have a new email address!You can now email me at: b.akubiyawa@yahoo.com



- Dear friend.With all due respect, I beg for your pardon please, if this message comes to you as a surprise. I am BARRISTER BEN AKUBIYAWA(Esq.)., an Attorney at law, and I had a client, who used to work with Shell Petroleum Company here in Republic of Togo before he died. Hereinafter shall be referred to as my client. Most important,I want you to understand that,I contacted you because you and my late client in question bear the same family name or surname and you may likely be his relative.As it may interest you to know how I came across to your contact.Please your contact was given to me by divine inspiration. And I contacted you as I was the personal lawyer to the client in order for you to inherit his fund without any problem.This is about what caused the death of my client in question,It was on the 21st of April 2005,my client,his wife and their two children were involved in a car accident along Kara-Sokode expressway,while arriving from a Holiday to Lome the capital of Republic of Togo here in West Africa,which all the occupants of the vehicle unfortunately lost their lives.My late client left the sum of Three Million Five Hundred Thousand Euros Only(€ 3.5M.),in the custody of one Security Finance Bank here in Lome -Togo.The same Security Finance Bank has contacted me to provide the next of kin of client who will inherit the fund otherwise they will declare the account unserviceable and confiscate the fund,if I fail to provide in the next of kin within three (3)Months.And since I have been unsuccessful in locating the real relatives of my client in question for over some years now,that's why I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin to my client,so that the proceeds of this account can be paid to you as the next of kin to my late client in question.Please all I require from you is your honest co-operation to enable us see this transaction through.I guarantee that this will be executed under legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any violation of the law both local and international.I promise to handle everything with you very confidentially.Please upon your reply I will inform you the necessary step / guideline which we will take to actualise this transaction to our both mutual trust and benefits.I am eagerly looking forward to hearing from you urgently.God Bless you.Yours faithfully,Barrister Ben AKUBIYAWA(Esq.).

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam