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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:
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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:
  • "a security company " (this will cost you money - that's what the scam is about)
  • "may come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "trunk box" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "is 100% risk-free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "a diplomat " ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
  • "power of attorney" (with your bank details and a power of attorney form criminals sometimes empty bank accounts)
  • "abuja" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.

Fraud email example:

From: steve_adams2202@zipmail.com.br
Date: Thu, 16 Feb 2006 20:34:52 +0100
Subject: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Waiting?=

Good Day

This letter may come to you as a surprise though, we have not yet met before.The
message could be strange but real. I could have notified you about it but
waited for months to elapse.

My name is Steve Adams, I am a Diplomat from South Africa. On 18th of October
this year, I was invited by late Mrs. Stella Obasanjo, the wife of Nigeria
President Olusegun Obasanjo to Sheraton hotel in Abuja Nigeria.

In the course of our discussion, she informed me that she has a consignment
which she want me to move through diplomatic channel for her to Spain via
Johaneseburg South Africa. She said her reason of doing so was that she
don't want her husband to be aware of the investment she want to make and
at the same time, don't want any other person to know about this arrangement
for her own security.

She made me to understand that she was going to Spain for a cosmetic surgery
and after the surgery, she will be investing the money in Real Estate in
Malaga Spain. On the 20th of october, we came back to the hotel where she
gave me a trunk box containing $31million.

We arranged that being the commercial attache in the South African High
Commission in Nigeria I will be able to move the trunk box through Diplomatic
channel to our Embassy in Spain via Johaneseburg South Africa.

We concluded that she will leave for Spain for her surgery two weeks later
and then arrange with who I will deliver the trunk box to before going in
for her operation.
The trunk box is now in Johaneseburg. When I wanted to move it to Spain,
I called her number in Spain and got no response. I also tried the number
of the doctor she gave me only to receive the information that she died
during the surgery that same night. You can visit this site to see for your
self http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4368806.stm

I have cleared the box out and has deposited it with a security company
in Johaneseburg.

All I want you to do is that I will give to you the certificate of deposit
issued to me by the security company along with power of attorney to go
to South Africa and claim out the consignment from them.

I will give you all the assistance that you need as I don't want the Govt.
of my country to know that I had dealings with the late woman. As a serving
diplomat, I deposited the Consignment with a different name.

For your assistance, you will be entitled to 35% of the total amount, 5%
will be set aside for all expenses while the rest will be for me.

This transaction is 100% risk-free.

I await your response.

While replying, don't forget to include your direct phone number for easier
communication.

Best Regards,

Steve Adams

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam