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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:
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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)
• This email message is a "dying merchant" scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Yuriy Plotnikov"<yuriy.kv@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <yuriyplotnikov1@sify.com>
Date: Fri, 8 May 2009 14:00:38 -0300
Subject: *****SPAM***** Disbursement Offer


Spam detection software, running on the system "www.sbsys.co.uk", 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
postmaster@sbsys.co.uk for details.

Content preview: Dear Friend, Disbursement Offer I have sent you this message
because of the need to open discussions with you. I don't want you to misunderstand
this offer in any aspect, if it is okay with you I ask for your full co-operation.
I am Yuriy Plotnikov, the Franchise Owner of Kogalymneftgaz, a Russian oil
company. Due to ill Health I have been Esophageal Cancer, it has defiled
all forms of medical treatment and according to the medical experts it is
a terminal illness so I do not know how much longer I have to live. I never
had any real friends in my lifetime because I never really cared for anyone
but my business. But now I know that there is more to live than making all
the money in the world. [...]

Content analysis details: (17.3 points, 5.0 required)

pts rule name description
---- ---------------------- --------------------------------------------------
3.5 BAYES_99 BODY: Bayesian spam probability is 99 to 100%
[score: 1.0000]
0.0 MISSING_MID Missing Message-Id: header
1.5 FORGED_HOTMAIL_RCVD2 hotmail.com 'From' address, but no 'Received:'
1.3 MISSING_HEADERS Missing To: header
1.1 SARE_LWOILCO BODY: SARE_LWOILCO
2.7 DEAR_FRIEND BODY: Dear Friend? That's not very dear!
0.6 US_DOLLARS_3 BODY: Mentions millions of $ ($NN,NNN,NNN.NN)
1.2 ADVANCE_FEE_2 Appears to be advance fee fraud (Nigerian 419)
1.4 ADVANCE_FEE_3 Appears to be advance fee fraud (Nigerian 419)
0.1 RDNS_NONE Delivered to trusted network by a host with no rDNS
0.6 ADVANCE_FEE_4 Appears to be advance fee fraud (Nigerian 419)
3.1 FORGED_MUA_OUTLOOK Forged mail pretending to be from MS Outlook

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam