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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million 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)
  • "30% for you " (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)
  • "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +442085720593
• 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.
  • frank_bills_exhange@hotmail.com
  • frank_bills_exchange@hotmail.com
  • claimsoffice@hutchcity.com

Fraud email example:

From: "frank douglas" <frank_bills_exchange@hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 04 Feb 2006 10:22:02 +0000
Subject: Dear Friend

THE WORLD BANK INTERNATIONAL REMITTANCE OFFICE
BILLS AND EXCHANGE DEPARTMENT
NEW ZEALAND HOUSE, 15TH FLOOR,
HAYMARKET, LONDON, SW1 Y4TE, UK
Tel: + 442085720593

Email: frank_bills_exhange@hotmail.com

Dear Friend,

I am Dr Frank Douglas, the Manager, Bills And Exchange At The Foreign
Remittance Department of World Bank. I am writing this letter to ask for
your support and co-operation to carry out this business transaction in my
department.

We discovered an abandoned sum of US$30,000,000.00 (Thirty Million United
States Dollars only) in an account that belongs to one of our foreign
customers Mr. middleton from Ausralia who died along with his entire family
of a wife and two
children in the sept.11 2001 terrorist attack on America
(http://www.iskandar.com/waleed911/listofvictims.html). Since we heard of
his death, we have been expecting his NEXT-OF-KIN to come over and put
claims for his money as the heir, because we cannot release the fund from
his account unless "someone" applies for claim as the next-of-kin to the
deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines.

Unfortunately, none of their family member or distant relative has ever
appeared to claim the said fund. Upon this discovery, I and other officials
in my department have agreed to make business with you or your company and
release the total amount into your account as the heir of the fund since no
one has come for it nor discovered he maintained an account with our bank,
otherwise the fund will be returned to the bank's treasury as unclaimed
fund.

We have agreed that our ratio of sharing will be as stated thus; 30% for you
as our foreign partner, 65 % will be for us the officials in my department
and 5% for the settlement of all local and foreign expenses incurred by you
and us during the course of this business. Upon the successful completion of
this transaction, one of my colleagues and I will come over to your country
and mind our share. It is from our 65% that we intend to import agricultural
machineries into my country as a way of recycling the fund. To commence this
transaction, we urge you to immediately register your interest by a return
fax/e-mail enclosing your private contact telephone number, fax number, full
names and address and also, your designated bank coordinates to enable us
file the letter of claim to the appropriate departments for necessary
approvals before the transfer can be completed.

Note also, that this transaction must be kept strictly confidential because
of its nature. I look forward to receiving your swift response.

Yours truly,
DR FRANK DOUGLAS.
Manager bills and Exchange Dept
World Bank International
Email: frank_bills_exchange@hotmail.com,
claimsoffice@hutchcity.com

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam