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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:
  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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • ",500,000" (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)
  • "united state of america" (this email uses bad English)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Dr. Kenneth Dickson" <drkennethdickson@yahoo.co.uk>
Reply-To: drkennethdickson@hotmail.com
Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:40:51 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: Dear Friend


Dear Friend,

Please permit me to introduce my humble self to you, I am DR. KENNETH DICKSON,
the HEAD OF AUDITOR to ZENITH BANK NIG.PLC. I hope you read this message
carefully and reply me immediately. Although we have not met before, but I
suggest that this transaction will bring us together.

My dear, we have a customer named Mr. Morris Thompson from Atlanta Georgia from
the United State of America but based here with his wife and his one child, Mr.
Morris Thompson has been banking with us for the past 4yrs and sometime in
August 2003 he died in a plane crash with his entire family. Unfortunately, he
lost his entire family.

The Management of ZENITH BANK NIG.PLC has mandated and Instructed me to look
for Late Mr. Morris Thompson s' relatives or Next of Kin to claim Mr.
Morris Thompson s' Funds and property. However since August 2003 till date,
I have not been able to get in contact with any of his relations or Next of Kin
to claim the Fund Deposited with our bank.

The reason why I contacted you is thus, Morris Thompson is dead, and his only
son who supposed to inherit his properties and money also died with him. As at
this moment, nobody is coming to claim this Money from our Bank and the
management of our bank has told me that if there is no claim application in
regards to the funds that the bank will return Morris Thompson s' Fund into
our Federal Reserve Account.

In the Light of the above, I want you to stand as the Next of Kin to Late
Morris Thompson, to claim the funds. It might interest you to know that Morris
Thompson has a Domiciliary Bank Account with our Bank and he has a total sum of
US$31,500,000 only.

Please get back to me immediately you receive this email or call me on + 233
2438 29241 if you are interested and capable to handle this transaction. You
will take 50% of the total sum while the Balance will be mine.

Be advice that i will advice my lawyer to satnd for you here to go for any
doccumments that might be require to ensure a surccesful transfer.

Thank you for your understanding and have a pleasant day.

Friendly Regards

DR. KENNETH DICKSON.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam