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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.

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

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "million 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)
  • "god fearing " (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
• This email message is a "dying widow" scam.
• 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.
  • gomeman@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: hogerth benz <hogerthbenz@yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 24 May 2009 02:45:04 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: very urgent



















CRAVE YOUR INDULGENCE
  
Greetings to you in the most wonderful name of our God Almighty. His richest blessings shall be upon you forever.
 
I am Mrs. Maria  Jose, I am 61 years old from Spain, I am deaf and suffering from a long time cancer of the Lungs which also affected my brain, from all indication my conditions is really deteriorating and it is quite obvious that, according to my doctors they have advised me that I live for the next four months, this is because the cancer stage has gotten to a very bad stage.
 
I was brought up from a motherless babies home, was married to my late husband for twenty years without a child. My husband died in a fatal motor accident. Before his death we were true Christians.
 
Since his death I decided not to re-marry, I sold all my inherited belongings and deposited all the sum of $13.5 million dollars with a Security Company. Presently, this money is still with them and the management just wrote me as the true owner to come forward to receive the money for keeping it so long Or rather issue a letter of authorization to somebody to receive it on my behalf since I can not come over because of my illness or they get it seized.
 
Presently, I'm with my laptop in a hospital where I have been undergoing treatment for cancer of the lungs. And i saw your name and address in the internet as a good person .I have since lost my ability to talk and my doctors have told me that I have only a few months to live.It is my last wish to see that this money is invested to any organization of your choice and distributed each year among the charity organizations, the poor and the motherless babies homes where I come from.

 
I want you as a God fearing person, to also use this money to fund churches, orphanages and widows. I took this decision, before I rest in peace because my time will soon be up. I have given my lawyer intruction about you as the beneficiary of the money. He shall give you the contact of the Security Company. I will also issue you a letter of authority that will improve you as the new beneficiary of my fund.

 
Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I stated herein.
I shall wait at your prayerful reply .
Please contact my lawyer  Dr.Manuel Gomez ,
fax. 0034 917 905 419    tel.0034 672529320  email. gomeman@yahoo.com
                                                   
Yours Truly,
Mrs.Maria Jose

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam