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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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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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)
  • "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: Maya Bara <maya_5bara@msn.com>
Reply-To: <maya_ba@inbox.com>
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2009 18:06:14 +0000
Subject: WAITING FOR YOURRESPONSE



Dear FriendGreeting to you and your family, I am Mr Maya Bara the Auditing and Accounting section manager in AFRICAN DEVELOPMENTBANK (A.D.B) Ouagadougou Burkina faso.I need your urgent assistance in transferring the sum of ($19.2)million to your account within 10 or14 banking days. This money has been dormant for years in our Bank with out claim. I want the bank to release the money to you as the nearest person to our deceased customer.I don't want the money to go into our Bank treasurer as an abandoned fund. So this is the reason why i contacted you so that the bank can release the money to you as the next of kin to the deceased customer. Please I would like you to keep this proposal as a top secret and delete it if you are not interested.Upon receipt of your reply, i will give you full details on how the business will be executed and also note that you will have ( 40%) of the above mentioned sum if you agree to handle this business.and ( 5%) will be preserved for helping the helpless people, like charity organization and, motherless babies home. I am expecting your urgent response, as soon as you receive my message.
Best Regard.Mr.Maya Bara WAITING FOR YOURRESPONSE

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam