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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.

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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 beloved," (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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. )
  • "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)
  • "i have a new email address!" (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
  • "god fearing " (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
• This email message is a "dying widow" 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.
  • roosannika@rocketmail.com
  • mrsannkaroos@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: mrsannkaroos@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:06:36 -0800 (PST)
Subject: DEAR BELOVETH ONE


I have a new email address!You can now email me at: roosannika@rocketmail.com



- Greetings..Dear Beloved, May God be with you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I am Mrs. Annika Roos,I am 53 years of age from Sweden,i am Dumb and suffering from a long time cancer of the Lungs and Kidney long time ago,but a little bit normal for now.From all indication my conditions is really deteriorating and it is quite obvious that, according to my doctor he had informed me that i may not live for the a long period of time, because the cancer has gotten to a very bad stage. I was married to my late husband for twenty two years without a child. My husband died in Sosoliso Plane Crash accident on his way to Business Meeting in Nigeria.Before his death we were true Christians.Since his death I sold all our inherited belongings and deposited all the sum of $11.5million dollars with a Security Company in Nigeria because we spent our lifetime there and he worked all his life with an oil company (Shell Petroleum Company Nigeria Plc.).Presently, the management just wrote me as the true owner to come forward to receive the money for keeping it so long they diverted it to the Security Company. or rather i should issue a letter of authorization to somebody whom i trust to receive it on my behalf since I can not come over because of my illness.Presently, I'm with a old laptop in an hospital where I have been undergoing treatment. Since then i have lost my ability to talk and my doctors have told me that I have only few months to live. It is my last wish to see that this money is invested to any organisation of your choice and distributed among the charity organization,the poor, motherless babies homes.I want you to be a God fearing person, to also use this money to Build churches,orphanages,and the less previlages because there is nothing to live for any more, blessed are they that giveth to the those that receiveth. I took this decision because my time will soon be up. Once i hear from you I shall give you the contact of the Security Company in Nigeria. I will also issue you a letter with the Vital informations of my funds that will prove you as the new beneficiary of my funds. Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I stated herein. May God Bless You Abundantly for your consideration and reasons to help the poor and the less previlages. Yours in Christ Jesus Mrs. Annika Roos.Private Email: mrsannkaroos@gmail.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam