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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
  (+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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "waiting for your urgent response" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "micheal kalu" <michealkalu1@msn.com>
Reply-To: michealkalu@myway.com
Date: Tue, 04 Oct 2005 14:28:16 +0000
Subject: URGENT

ATTN:

Am Mr.Micheal kalu , in charge of bills and foreign exchange remittance
Department of LEAD MERCHANT BANK PLC. I am writing you this letter to ask
for your support and co-operation to carry out this business opportunity in
my department.

We discovered an unclaimed sum of $35Million (Thirty five Million Dollars)
in an account belonging to one of our customer, who died in a plane crash
with the
entire family in year 2003.Since we got information about his death we have
been expecting his next of kin to come over and claim his money.
Unfortunately, neither the family nor the relation has appeared to claim
this money.

We cannot release this money unless somebody applies as the next of kin or
relation to the deceased. Our banking guidelines indicated that if such
money
remained unclaimed for a period of four (4) years, it would be transferred
into the MERCHANT BANK Treasury as unclaimed fund. Another officer and I in
the department now decided to transfer this money into your account as the
next of kin or relation
of the deceased for easy collection since nobody is coming for it and we
dont want this money to go back into the bank treasury as the unclaimed
debt.

Infact it is my friend that advised me to urgently arrange to transfer out
this money through another foreign beneficiary outside the country. We have
decided to give you 15% of the total sum. So please, as a matter of urgency
send to me your telephone and fax numbers for effective communication. I
will do my best to see that we conclude this transaction successfully on
time.

Please if you are intrested send me an immediate mail so that I can explain
the details to you to understand everything about this business."


Waiting for your urgent response.

Best Regards.
Mr.Micheal Kalu

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam