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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:
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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)
  • "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)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• 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.
  • pjk1@caramail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: MR KEN PATRICK. <pjk@caramail.com>
Date: Thu, 11 May 2006 02:29:02 +0100
Subject: MR KEN PATRICK.

FROM THE DESK OF MR KEN PATRICK
ACCOUNTANT BARCLAYS BANK PLC LONDON
EMAIL: pjk1@caramail.com
TEL:+447783923312

NEXT OF KIN REQUESTED

Dear Sir,
Compliment of the season to you.This mail will definitely be coming to you as a surprise, but I must crave
your indulgence to introduce myself to you,am MR KEN PATRICK an accountant, barclays bank plc
London.
However I got your contact through the International web directory.During our recent
investigation,reconciliation and auditing of the bank's account my department discovered a dormant
account with a huge amount of Money Valued $36,000.000.00 (thirty-six Million, Dollars) that belongs to
One of our late Customer MR. Schmuck Scott, from Beverwijk, Netherlands,who died with his family in a
plane crash 14 years ago. So the fund has been dormant in his account with my Bank without any claim
of the fund in our custody either, from his Family or relation before Our discovery to this development.The
Banking law here stipulates that if such money remains unclaimed for 15 years, it will be forfeited to the
Bank Treasury as an unclaimed bill. It is only a foreigner that can stand as a next of kin and it is upon this
discovery that I decided to contact you to collaborate with you to pull out this dormant fund.In order to
avert this negative development, i now seek your permission, to have you stand in as next of kin to Our
late Customer so that the fund will be released and paid into your account as the beneficiarys next.of kin
now that the bank is still expecting a next of kin or relative of the deceased, MR. Schmuck Scott.
I could have done this deal alone but because of my position in this country as civil servants, we are not
allowed to operate a foreign account and that would eventuall raise an eye brow on my side during the
time of transfer since i still work in this bank,this is the actual reason.
However, on smooth conclusion of this transaction, you will be entitled to 20% of the total fund, while
10% will be set aside to take care of expenses on both sides that may arise during the time of transfer
and also for telephone bills, and the remaining 70% will be for me.What I want from you is for you to act
as the deceased next of kin. I have in my possession, all the necessary Documents to successfully
accomplish the operation and also bear in mind that this transaction purely legal and is 100% risk free.
Further Information will be given to you as soon as I receive your positive response.

Best Regards,
MR KEN PATRICK.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam