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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:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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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:
  • "demurrage " (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. )
  • "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 us 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)
  • "liberia" (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.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "mello gano" <gano1986@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:40:11 +0000
Subject: HELLO


My name is Mello Gono, the daughter of 1st/Lt. Isaac Gono - former driver
of Chucky @Taylor (Charles Taylor's son). I do not
know to what extent you are familiar with events and political situation in
my country Liberia, how ever, if you permit me I
will like to use this opportunity to tell you about the reason I contacted
you.
In September, 2002, my dad who was a member of the Anti-Terrorist Unit (ATU)
was beaten to death by Chucky's body guards.
Chucky Taylor was said to have instructed some of his guards to beat My dad
for allegedly killing a dog. An insider told us
that my father's death was not due to the killing of the dog, but because
the blood of the dog splashed on Chucky's car.
According to the information we gathered, Chucky asked his body guards to
give him 100 lashes. Accordingly, they complied by
beating him to death.
I really will not like to bore you over the story of my dad, however the
reason I am contacting you is that in January, 2002
when I was only 14 my dad was told by Chucky to make a secrete trip to Mali
- the trip will see my dad going to a security company
and make a deposit for him Chucky, this whole trip was a secrete and
according to the instructions no one should know about
it.
My dad went and came back successfully only to tell my mum what he went to
do.
he took some diamond, gold and some money along with him to deposit in the
said company where he used his name as the
depositor and mine as the beneficiary, this was however the plan as Chucky
did not want any trace to be linked to him at
least for the moment as at then. The total items deposited were 17kg of
diamond and also 6.8million US dollars - I have all
the documents as evidence. It is important to know that my dad never
mentioned the money inside the box to the company
because no security company here accepts money in a box as deposit as they
are not a bank, instead he declared them as
precious items. Those were his explanations to my mum, he came back and
showed us the papers which he later handed over to my
mum late Mrs. Tina Gono for safe-keep. Before the death of my mum in
December of 2004, she called me as the beneficiary that
I should remember the deposit my dad left in Mali because in it, I was made
the beneficiary, she also told me how to get to
it.
So when I also lost my mum, I had no choice but to go to Mali where I am
till date. Like every normal human being I went in
search for those documents before I left, When I got here, I had no choice
but to report to the company as this was our (me
and my younger sister Vero) only hope of surviving. On getting to the
company, it was confirmed that the box was there but
for me to collect it, I must pay some demurrage charges. Ever since then, it
has been very difficult for me to do that, as I
can barely feed myself. That is why I need your help to assist me in
claiming my fortune from the company, the details of the
company will be giving to you in due course,. I will be very happy if you
can assist me in this regard as I will want that
the box should be sent to your destination of choice where I can also
soon.come and meet you. I will also be happy if you can
assist me in investing the proceed in any good business venture in your
locality as I will also like to further my Education.
I will be very happy if this dream can come to reality. Thanks as I hope to
get assistance from you

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam