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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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.

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2008 04:44:44 -0800
Subject: Hello

Dear friend,
As you read this, I do not want you to feel sorry for me,
because I believe
everyone will die someday. My name is Thomas brown a
merchant in London,
United Kingdom. I have been diagnosed with esophageal cancer
and have been in the
hospital for a very long time. It has defied all forms of
medical treatment,
and right now I have about few months to live, according to
the medical
experts. I have not particularly lived my life so well, as I
never really
cared for anyone (not even myself) but my business and
wealth.

Though I Am very rich, I was never generous, I was always
hostile to
people and only focused 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. I
believe when God gives me a
second chance to come to this world I would live my life a
different way from
how I have lived it till date. Now that God is calling me,
I have willed and
shared most of my properties and assets to my immediate and
extended family members,
including few close friends. I want God to be merciful to me
and accept my
soul, so I have decided to give alms to charity
organizations, as I want this to be one of the last good
deeds I do on earth before Gods call. So far, I have
distributed money to some charity organizations in the U.K,
Algeria and
Malaysia.

Now that my health has been deteriorated so badly, I cannot
do this myself
anymore. I once asked members of my family to close one of
my accounts and
distribute the money which I have there to charity
organization in
Bulgaria and Pakistan; they refused and kept the money
to themselves. Hence, I do not trust them anymore, as they
seem not to be
contended with what I have left for them. The last of my
money which no one
knows of is the huge cash deposit of eighteen million
dollars united states
dollars ($18.000.000) that I have with a finance and trust
Company in Europe. I would want you to help me collect this
deposit on my
behalf and distribute it to charity organizations in your
country.

I would want you to keep 10% of the funds to yourself and
share the rest to
charity organizations in your country.As soon as possible
even if you are capable to handle this transaction on my
behalf..
My regards and Love to you and your family members.
God be with you,
Reply this email:tbrown18@live.com
Thomas Brown

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam