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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
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• 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 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)
  • "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • gh_billy28@yahoo.com.hk

Fraud email example:

From: =?big5?q?billy=20hassan?= <h_billy28@yahoo.com.hk>
Reply-To: hassanbilly500@voila.fr
Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2009 13:31:17 -0800 (PST)
Subject: TREAT AS URGENT


§Ú¦³·sªº¹q¶l¦a§}¡I§A²{¥i¹q¶lµ¹§Ú¡Gh_billy28@yahoo.com.hk



- Dear Friend, I am Mr.Hassan Billy. I work with Bank International Of Burkina (BIB).I need your urgent assistance in transferring the sum of USD 9.5 M million us dollars immediately to your account. Upon your reply, I will send you full details on how the business will be executed.This transaction is about presenting you as the next of kin/ beneficiary To our late customer who died with his entire family in plane crash that happened in kenya.I am Waiting to hear from you soonest for more details. Please, contact me through my private email address: hassanbilly500@voila.fr and I want you as well to visit this site for more info: www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/07/20/kenya.crash/index.html

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam