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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
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• 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 beloved," (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "trunk box" (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)
  • "trunk boxes" (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)
  • "hundred thousand united states 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)
  • "i have a new email address!" (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
• This email message is a "dying widow" scam.

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: aberg_family@live.com
Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2008 14:06:41 +0530 (IST)
Subject: A Donation from the Aberg's family


I have a new email address!You can now email me at: m_aberg002@yahoo.in



- Dear Beloved,My name is Margereta Aberg. I am an Australian based in the U.K. I am a dying woman who have decided to donate what I have to you/ charity. I am 63 years old and I was diagnosed for cancer for about 3 years ago, immediately after the death of my husband, who has left me everything he worked for.I have been touched by God to donate from what I have inherited from my late husband to the you for the purpose of charity. Unfortunately my husband died in an auto crash with our only daughter 3 years ago in London.I decided to WILL/donate the sum of $2,700,000 (Two million seven hundred thousand United States Dollars) to charity/christian org. through you for the good work of the lord, and also to help the motherless and less privilege and also for the assistance of the widows. At the moment I cannot take any telephone calls right now due to the fact my sickness is in the terminal stage but I have given my family attorney the necessary instructions how to ship this mo!
ney to you. For security reasons I deposited the money with a security company.The money is well packaged in two trunk boxes and I told my lawyer that the boxes contains vital documents you are the only person that knows the content I did this so that the lawyer will not take advantage of the situation to mismanage the money or the money getting into the hands of the wrong persons. I wish you all the best and may the good Lord bless you abundantly, and please use the funds well and always extend the good work to others.Presently I am laying helplessly in the hospital as the doctors have given me few months to live,I will be contacting you by email and I will send you my picture and the picture of the two boxes containing the money, do send me an email to my family email box via :aberg_family@live.com so that I can monitor the shipment as much as my health permits, please pray for me.Regards,Margereta Aberg

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam