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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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:

• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • dr_michael78@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "Christopher Micheal" <ch_micheal@msn.com>
Reply-To: dr_michael78@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 12:18:11 +0000
Subject: LETS WORK TOGETHER (urgently).

Urgent Business Transaction
I am pleased to send my greetings to you. I know this Letter will definitely
come to you as a surprise; I Actually came about your name when I was
browsing through the Internet and searching for a reliable, trustworthy and
confidential partner who can transact this business with us.
I am the chairman of the contract Review/Audit Committee scrutinizing all
record covering executed contract awarded by previous military government of
Nigeria. My colleagues and I have uncovered a floating amount of
USD$8,000,000.00 (EIGHT MILLION U.S. DOLLARS) , without a clear beneficiary
owing to a deliberate act of over invoicing and inflatiion of contract value
by some past Government officials.
This fund (USD$8M), has already been approved for payment by the Federal
ministry of Petroleum and natural resources and is secured under Contract
number NNPC/FGN/V1233/NNPC-X29/98, Job Completion Certificate
No:(67700242NNPC/s) Reference Allocation Number: PE/77775/AEX-60X of 17th
Oct 2002 .
As top civil servants we are not authorized to operate Foreign bank account
and this is why we want to use your bank account to transfer this money
outside Nigeria. We have accepted you as our foreign partner and will now
regularize the approvals to you as the trust beneficiary of the contract sum
.
As soon as we receive your acceptance, we shall inform you of the necessary
requirements from you to facilitate the transfer of this sum. We have
resolved to Give you 30% of the total sum as compensation for your
assistance, 60% is for my colleagues and i here in Nigeria, 10% is set aside
to cover every expenses made in the course of the transaction.
Note that this should be held as very confidential.
Kindly Send your urgent response via my E-mail ; (dr_michael78@yahoo.com)
along with your secured phone and fax numbers for easy communication on the
subject matter.
I am awaiting your immediate reply.
Thank you,
Yours faithfully,
Dr.Christopher Michael

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam