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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "power of attorney" (with your bank details and a power of attorney form criminals sometimes empty bank accounts)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.

Fraud email example:

From: "...." <makeniy2k@netscape.net>
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2005 14:09:16 +0200
Subject: Beloved Help


Beloved,
How are you hope all is well with you and your family, I am a girl from sierra Leone, I am 25 years old am a house girl as my profession, but I have this thing to tell you which I believe it can be helpful to both off us.
Like I told you at the beginning that I am a house help am working under a woman but she is dead now and she is a very well know woman and she is a diamond merchant in Ghana but she lives in sierra Leone.
I stayed with her all this years working under her so she is dead now and she don't having kid nor husband; she has a fund in Europe with my name US$8.5 million us dollars. Right now I still in sierra Leone cannot secure a visa to go there and I don't have bank account to received the funds so I am worried I need your assistance to help me claim the funds and secured it in your custody before I can come over with my family to make share and invest part of it in your country under your supervision.
For your assistance I will offer you 20% of the funds once you make this dream come true, as I have stated. I have all documents covering the funds I have talk to firm securing the consignment they said once I have a beneficiary they will act according to my instructions and his so this is why I am sending you this mail to seek your assistance.
If you are willing to help me please get back to me on this email address Above.
Note: Once you claim the funds you will look for a school for me so that I can get invitation letter from them to come over to your country and I will be schooling and you will be running the business once I finish with the school I will join you in the business, if you have any other plans to help me and my family to your country I will appreciate.
My late madam lawyer will prepare a power of Attorney document to enable you claim the funds and also be secured should in case you are afraid to assist in this transaction.
Thanks for your understanding
Best regard
Kargbo

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam