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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
  (+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:
  • "hundred thousand 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)
  • "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.
  

Fraud email example:

From: ojomichael@zipmail.com.br
Date: Sat, 18 Mar 2006 03:34:46 +0100
Subject: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Hello?=

Hello ,

I am the personal assistant to the wife of the President of Nigeria Chief
Mrs. Stella who died in a Spanish hospital on Saturday 22nd October 2005.

You may be surprised that I am writing you this letter even as my boss death
is still fresh in all living memories in Nigeria, but I have to do this
because if I don't, some thing might go wrong with the documents and I will
regret in future why I did not act fast. So try to understand me. I feel
deeply distressed about her death but I must act fast now and face the fact.

On the 19th of October 2005, shortly before she left for Spain for surgery,
she gave me the sum of six million, five hundred thousand United States
Dollars cash which she instructed me to Deposit with a bank in Lagos. In
the name of a foreign national. And since she has not collected the documents
from me before she traveled and died in Spain. I have the documents with
me. No one else has the information and I signed the deposit slip. So I
can Change it with the bank if the name presented to the bank looks alike.
I can easily claim it was a minor oversight.

Since I still have the documents and no one else knows about it. I want
to quickly use your name and particulars to replace the existing one with
the bank for the purpose of transferring the fund to your account immediately.
I will like to do this immediately if you are willing to co operate with
me If you are interested, just respond to me immediately and I will give
you the details of how we can achieve this funds in your account in a couple
of days.

Nigeria is really morning the death of this noble woman and the death of
117 people in a plane crash the same day 22nd October 2005. Looking forward
to your immediate response.

Mr.Ojo Michael

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam