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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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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "00,000.00" (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)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: <tony@go-irish.com>
Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2008 20:17:03 +0000
Subject: Re: Late Mr. Wilton's Insurance Benefit.



Dear Friend,How are you today? I would have love to meet you in
person before divulging this important information to
you, but the limited time I have now will not permit me
to do just that. Please accept my apologies if this mail
does not meet your personal ethics. I am contacting you regarding a deal worth USD17,
300,000.00, the said fund is the insurance benefit of
your fellow country man that died in my country some
years back, it is on record that he died with his family
in a plane crash. Hence these funds have been left
unclaimed over the years with open beneficiary mandate.
Recently, this benefit has now been declared unclaimed
and would be repatriated to Government vault if this
situation remains the same for the next two months.
In total compliance to the insurance provisions of my
country, only a next of kin to the deceased can lay claim
to these funds whenever the policy holder is no more. I
have now decided to present you as the next of kin to the
deceased (Mr. Kent Wilton), because I have all the
legitimate means to back it up. I want to assure you that this process will go on
smoothly, because we are going to present all legitimate
documents that would be required for this kind of claim
to take place successfully, and I would also do my best
to influence proceedings in your favour with my position
as the Director of Claim in our institution.
I shall tell you more about this transaction as soon as I
have your positive consent towards my proposal.
Kind Regards,Mr. Tony Adams.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam