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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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)
  • "please indicate your interest" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "may come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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.
  
• 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.
  • dr.nelsonorson@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: nelson85@freenet.de
Date: Fri, 03 Apr 2009 07:28:50 +0200
Subject: The truth you need from me


Dear Friend,

This mail correspondence may come to you as a surprise
due to the fact that we have not met, I know that this is an unlikely
platform to start this kind of relationship but I am constrained by the
present situation of my family and I request you to permit me to use
this medium to introduce myself.

I am Nelson Orson a Liberian by
Nationality, and my father was the personal aide on domestic affairs to
our former president, Mr.Charles Taylor. I am currently in Accra Ghana
and would need your co-operation in moving out 150kg of Alluvial Gold
Dust with USD 6.5million from here for investments in your country. For
your help, I will be happy to share the funds with you according to an
agreed percentage.Please indicate your interest in working with me and
contact me with your full details.
If I do not hear from you in 7
days, i shall consider it that you are not favorably disposed to accept
my offer.
Thanks,

Best regards,
Dr.Nelson
Orson
dr.nelsonorson@yahoo.com

Unbegrenzter Speicher, Top-Spamschutz,
120 SMS und eigene E-MailDomain
inkl.
http://office.freenet.de/dienste/emailoffice/produktuebersicht/power/mail/index.html

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam