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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
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• 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:
  • "good day friend" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "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)
• This email message is a "dying merchant" 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.
  • gphreine1@yahoo.com.hk

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: phreine111@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Thu, 6 Nov 2008 06:32:09 -0800 (PST)
Subject: {Spam!}


§Ú¦³·sªº¹q¶l¦a§}¡I§A²{¥i¹q¶lµ¹§Ú¡Gphreine1@yahoo.com.hk



- Good day friend, my names is Mr. Reine, I am sending this mail in order to ask for your assistance to extend my donation to the need in your country. I am a businessman merchant in Dubai, U.A.E. presently I am in the hospital suffering form Esophageal Cancer that was discovered very late, due to my laxity in caring for my health. The doctors identified that right now I have only about a few months to live, according to medical experts. My wife and only daughter died in London train bomb explosion some time in 2005. I have not particularly lived my life so well, as I never really cared for anyone not even myself but my business. Though I am very rich, but never generous and always hostile to people. Always only focusing on my business, as that was the only thing I cared for. But now I regret all this, as I now know that there is more to life than just wanting to have or make all the money in the world. At this point in time, my health has deteriorated so badly, I cannot do any thing with all the money I have accumulated my self. The last of my money is a huge cash deposit of ten million dollars ($10M) that I have in a security deposit in Europe for safekeeping. I will want you to help me collect this deposit and disburse it to some charity organizations and to the less privileged in the society. Please send me a mail to indicate if you are willing to assist me to receive the money from the company and disburse these funds to charity organizations and less privileged in the society (NEEDY). I believe if God gives me a second chance to life, I would live my life a different way from how I have lived it. Now that God is clling me home, I want God to be merciful to me and accept my soul. But for now, I have decided to give arms to charity organizations and give succor and comfort to the less privileged in our societies, as I want this to be one of the last good deeds I did on earth before I finally live. May God be with you and your entire family,Mr Reine

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam