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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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• 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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• This email message is a "dying widow" scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "augustafreewilldonation.org" <maduaugusta@alliancenet.ro>
Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2009 12:31:55 +0200 (EET)
Subject: [*****SPAM*****] HELP THEM PLEASE


Spam detection software, running on the system "alliancenet.alliancenet",=
has
identified this incoming email as possible spam. The original message
has been attached to this so you can view it (if it isn't spam) or label
similar future email. If you have any questions, see
the administrator of that system for details.

Content preview: Dear Beloved Friend, Greetings in the name of Lord Jesu=
s Christ,
I am Mrs. Augusta Madu, a widow to late Alhaji Sheik, a new Christian =
convert
suffering from long time cancer of the breast and have only six months=
, presently
I am in a Hospital in London taken my treatment. My late husband, was =
killed
during the USA raid against terrorism in Afghanistan, he was very weal=
thy,
and I inherited all his business and wealth after his death because du=
ring
the period of our marriage we couldn't produce any child, so I decided=
to
divide this wealth to churches in Africa, America, Asia and Europe and=
for
humanity in general. [...]=20

Content analysis details: (11.6 points, 5.0 required)

pts rule name description
---- ---------------------- ---------------------------------------------=
-----
-1.8 ALL_TRUSTED Passed through trusted hosts only via SMTP
2.1 SUBJ_ALL_CAPS Subject is all capitals
1.3 NA_DOLLARS BODY: Talks about a million North American do=
llars
0.0 BAYES_50 BODY: Bayesian spam probability is 40 to 60%
[score: 0.4868]
1.2 ADVANCE_FEE_2 Appears to be advance fee fraud (Nigerian 419=
)
1.7 SARE_FRAUD_X5 Matches 5+ phrases commonly used in fraud spa=
m
1.7 SARE_FRAUD_X6 Matches 6+ phrases commonly used in fraud spa=
m
1.4 ADVANCE_FEE_3 Appears to be advance fee fraud (Nigerian 419=
)
1.7 SARE_FRAUD_X3 Matches 3+ phrases commonly used in fraud spa=
m
1.7 SARE_FRAUD_X4 Matches 4+ phrases commonly used in fraud spa=
m
0.6 ADVANCE_FEE_4 Appears to be advance fee fraud (Nigerian 419=
)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam