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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.

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:
  • "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "waiting for your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
• This email message is a next of kin 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.
  • richard.obrain@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Sun, 9 Nov 2008 17:42:41 -0500
Subject: THIS IS FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION PLEASE

Attention Please,



I know this email will come to you as a surprise considering the fact that we have not met before. My name is Mr. Richard O'Brian; I am the director of finance in my bank here in London. In my bank where I work, we have a problem locating the next of kin to one Mr. Robert Walter a British soldier who died in Iraq but left the sum of US$8.5M in his account.



I am writing you so that I can introduce you to my bank as the next of kin to our deceased customer so that the above mentioned amount can be transferred to your account after which we share 50-50.



If you are interested, kindly contact me through my cell phone number +44 792 4004 258 for more details or send me a mail to this mailbox: richard.obrain@yahoo.co.uk <mailto:richard.obrain@yahoo.co.uk> I shall be waiting for your urgent response.



Richard O'Brian

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam