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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 sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +2348028034488 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:46:03 +0100
Subject: FROM US EMBASSY AMERICAN EMBASSY:DEAR BENEFICIARY




=C2=A0
=C2=A0US EMBASSY
#4 WALTER CARRINGTON STREET
VICTORIA ISLAND.
LAGOS, NIGERIA.
Tel: +234-8028034488
Email:united_embassy1@yahoo.com.co=20
=C2=A0
Dear Sir/Madam.

I write to inform you that following a meeting with the US Embassy and Fe=
deral Republic of Nigeria, Federal Republic of Cote'dvoir and Federal Rep=
ublic of Benin.The subject of discussion is why American citizens who exe=
cuted foreign contracts/Inheritance/Lotteries are either paid part paymen=
t or not paid at all.=20
=C2=A0
There are series of complaints by the American citizens and other Western=
World that they have lost some amount of money in pursuit of their payme=
nts and this gave rise to the US Government setting up a=C2=A0Ten man com=
mittee to work with the US Embassy here in Lagos, Nigeria.=20
=C2=A0
The primary objective of this committee is to strictly comply to enforce =
the payment of their original contract sum/Inheritance and Lotteries as t=
he case may be. Members of the committee are Mr. Philip Bryant, Mr. Jeffe=
ry Peterson, Mr. Mac Anthony Tosel, Mr. George Ellis and Mr. Donald Vann,=
=C2=A0all the members of the committee are American citizens. Once your c=
laim is verified by this committee and approved for payment and if the ab=
ove countries Nigeria, Cote'dvoir and Republic of Benin fails to pay you =
within the stipulated seven days, the USA Government will pay the exact a=
mount in question to you. You are therefore directed to contact the US Em=
bassy Lagos, Nigeria the Head Quarters of the committee on Tel: +Tel: +23=
4-8028034488
Email:united_embassy1@yahoo.com.co=C2=A0

=C2=A0

=C2=A0
=C2=A0
=C2=A0
Thanks
Yours Faithfully

Mr. MacAnthonyTosel.=20
(Committee Chairman)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam