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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "lagos" (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.
  

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:35:28 +0100
Subject: *****SPAM***** URGENT BUSINESS PROPOSAL....


Spam detection software, running on the system "server01.hrcdigital.eu", 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: Project Director, National Oil & Gas Inc. Lagos, Nigeria.
Sometimes the urgency of a letter could determine the channel in which it
is sent, this letter is very urgent and important and the fastest channel
to reach you is via your email address. [...]

Content analysis details: (15.1 points, 5.0 required)

pts rule name description
---- ---------------------- --------------------------------------------------
2.8 TVD_PH_SUBJ_URGENT TVD_PH_SUBJ_URGENT
2.1 SUBJ_ALL_CAPS Subject is all capitals
1.3 MISSING_HEADERS Missing To: header
1.6 URG_BIZ BODY: Contains urgent matter
0.7 SARE_URGBIZ BODY: Contains urgent matter
0.0 BAYES_50 BODY: Bayesian spam probability is 40 to 60%
[score: 0.5078]
0.6 RCVD_IN_SORBS_WEB RBL: SORBS: sender is a abuseable web server
[82.128.33.84 listed in dnsbl.sorbs.net]
1.6 RCVD_IN_SBL RBL: Received via a relay in Spamhaus SBL
[82.128.33.84 listed in zen.spamhaus.org]
0.1 RDNS_DYNAMIC Delivered to trusted network by host with
dynamic-looking rDNS
1.2 ADVANCE_FEE_2 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