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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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)
  • "remmittance 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.
  • +2289381745 (Togo, probably a 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.
  • w_dossou@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "william dossou" <william_dossou51@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 09:36:14 +0100
Subject: Compliments of the day Dear Damien Rice,

Alternative E-mail;w_dossou@yahoo.com
FROM THE DESK OF MR.WILLIAM DOSSOU.MANAGER BILL AND EXCHANGE DEPARTMENT
FOREIGN
REMMITTANCE DEPT. CONTINENTAL BANK LOME,REPUBLIC OFTOGO.WEST AFRICA.

Dear Damien Rice,

Compliments of the day.How are you and your business today with hope that
God is fully in control.I believe that you will be suprise to receive this
mail in the sense that you dont know me till this moment.

I am Mr.WILLIAM DOSSOU. the manager of Bill and Exchange at the Foreign
Remmittance Department Of CONTINENTAL BANK LOME TOGO.I am writing following
the impressive information about you . In my department I discovered an
abandoned sum of $15m, Us dollars (Fifteen million
US Dollars) in an account that belongs to one of our foriegn customer who
died along with his entire family in plane crash on 31 October, 1999 on
board the Egyptian Airline 990 alonside other passengers,

Since we got information about his death, we have been expecting his next of
kin to come over and claim his money because we can not release it unless
somebody applies for it as next of kin or relation to the decease as
indicated in our banking guidlines and laws, but unfortunately I learnt that
all his supposed next of kin or relation died along side with him at the
plane clash leaving no body behind for the claim. It is therefore upon this
discovery that I decided to make this business proposal to you and to enable
the release of the money to you as the next of kin or relation to the
deceased for safety and subsequent disbursement since nobody is coming for
it and I dont want this money to go into the bank treasury as unclaimed
bill.

The banking law and guidline here stipulates that if such money remained
unclaimed after six years, the money will be transfered into the bank
treasure as unclaimed fund. The request of a foreigner as next of kin in
this business is occassioned by the fact that the customer was a foreigner
and a togolaise cannot stand as next of kin to a foreigner.We will discuss
our sharing percentage as soon as we establish a mutual relationship.After
the tranfer I will visit your country for disbursment according to the
percentages we will decide upon.

Therefore, to enable the immediate transfer of this fund to you as
arranged,I will issue you an specimen of application which you will apply
first to the bank as relation or next of kin of the deceased.in the specimen
of the application you will re-type,fill the necessary information about you
and summit it to the bank which the address will be upon the application.

upon receipt of your reply, i will send to you the application.but at
thesame time i will want you to
include to me your telephone and fax number for our effective
communication.Also i will like you to know that we have to keep this
business secret between ourselves.

You can contact me immediately through my E-mail address as soon as you
receive this mail,Alternative E-mail;w_dossou@yahoo.com

GOD BLESS YOU,
Mr.WILLIAM DOSSOU.
Alternative E-mail;w_dossou@yahoo.com
Phone number +228-938-1745.

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam