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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:
  • "a security company " (this will cost you money - that's what the scam is about)
  • "huge amount of money" (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)
  • "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)
  • "power of attorney" (with your bank details and a power of attorney form criminals sometimes empty bank accounts)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "liberia" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• 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.
• 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.
  • +2348038224520 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • usman_barrister@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "allan daramy" <allandaramy17@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: barristerusman1@walla.com
Date: Fri, 03 Feb 2006 23:10:46 -0900
Subject: CAN YOU TRAVEL WITH HONEST.

BARRISTER USMAN BELLO CHAMBERS
SUITE A 205 2ND FLOOR SHOPPING PLAZA,
IKEJA, LAGOS-NIGERIA.
PLEASE REPLY THROUGH MY PRIVATE
Email: usman_barrister@yahoo.com

Attention: Please,
With much sincerity of purpose we make this contact with you after
satisfactory information we gathered from the International Trade
office of the Liberian Chamber of Commerce here in Liberian though we did
not disclose the nature of the transaction to them, believing that you will
provide us a feasible solution to job /services.

My name is Barrister Usman Bello (Esq.).I am the Family Secretary/legal
adviser to the former President Charles Taylor before he was forced out of
power and sent into exile in Nigeria. The family has huge sums of money
about Seventy Five Million United States Dollars ($75M) safely deposited
with a security Company in Europe.

President Taylor wants to invest the money but want me to look for a
trusted and honest person who can invest this money on his family's behalf
as proxy. I have chosen you because of your track record as a honest person.
You will be paid Management/Trusteeship fees of 30% of the total sum for
managing and investing the funds as proxy on behalf of the family.

You will be required to travel to Europe to claim the funds, I will
issue you a letter of Power of Attorney and the certificates of Deposit to
enable you take delivery of the funds from the security company in Europe.
Please tell me in confidence, can you handle it? Can you invest this huge
amount of money successfully? Have you ever handle such huge amount of money
before? How old are you? Please advise most urgently.

I look forward to your response.
Regards,
PRESIDENT CHARLES TAYLOR.
MY EMAIL ADDRESS: usman_barrister@yahoo.com
My Telephone No: 234-8038224520.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam