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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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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:
  • "million us 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)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: CHRIS SPENCER <chris1960612@yahoo.co.uk>
Reply-To: chris02spencer@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 2 Jan 2006 10:19:22 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: LET'S PARTNER


Dear Partner,

I am writing on behalf of a client of our bank , who died after winning the lottery.He won $5,000,000.00 (Five Million US Dollars) After hearing the good news he had a stroke,He is a foreigner. I decided to seek for whom his name shall be used as the next of kin as no one has come up to be the next of kin.

A foreigner in the sense that you do not live in Lome-Togo.He was 77 years old and he has no relative. Now the funds are left unclaimed for, If it is not claimed now it will be handed to the government as unclaimed funds. I want you to claim for the funds as a relative, i will give you the winning lottery numberand the other details and you will send it to the bank as the next of kin. I am a worker at the bank and i will send all the details to your email, we will share the total funds 50/50.I and my partners,will share $2.5 million dollars.

You will take the rest for your work and assistance.The whole process will be done in a day. It just takes 24hrs.We want to use our share of the funds as an investment. Once i hear a postive response from you i will furnish you with all the other details.Please leave your full name and contact details so that i can contact you back.The most important thing is that can i trust you and that you wont let us down? If you are interested,send me an email so that we can begin.

This business is risk free.Thank you

Respectfully submitted,
Mr Chris Spencer



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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam