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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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:
  • "a security company " (this will cost you money - that's what the scam is about)
  • "trunk box" (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)
  • "transaction is risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "cotonou" (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.
  
• 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.
  • allforgod@indiatimes.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: greaterheights32020 a <greaterheights32020@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 26 May 2006 20:42:53 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: HELLO


MRS.MARIAM SAMBU, DADANI REFUGEE CAMP
C/O ROCK OF AGES EVANGELICAL MINISTRIES
COTONOU, REPUBLIC OF BENIN.

Dear Friend,

With the best compliments of the year, I wish to solicit your help in migrating to your country and investing my funds,I am a Sierra Leonean National and the wife of late Dr Simon Sambu.
Until his death, my husband was the General overseer of the Gold and Diamond Mining Corporation in Kanema Sierra Leone. On April 6 2000 the military forces loyal to the Government of Ahmed Tijan Kabbah invaded the Diamond and Gold mine and assassinated my husband, mistaking him for his brother Shehu Sambu who is the deputy to the leader of the revolutionary United Front (RUF) Foday Sankoh.When the news reached me, I hurriedly gathered some valuables in our family villa and escaped for my dear life in the company of my only son Silas. Among the valuables was a file that contained details of a Deposit my husband made in a security company here in cotonou, republic of benin. He deposited US$17.5M (seventeen million Five Hundred Thousand U.S Dollars) contained in 1 Trunk box in the name of our son SILAS. He did not disclose the real contents of the Trunk Box to the Security Company. He Declared the contents as Family Valuables for security reasons. This is the money he made
from the sale of Gold and diamonds during his time as the General overseer.

Now that we are in Cotonou and verified the transaction, we need your assistance to move this funds out of this country for investment in your country as we cannot invest here due to its nearness to our country and the insecurity still going on there. We ask you to scout for a viable and lucrative business, so that we can invest wisely. We have it in mind to give you 10% of the total sum (17.5 million US Dollars), and 25% share in any investment we will embark upon if you assist us. This fortune of ours we have revealed to you should remain CONFIDENTIAL as it IS only you who we have told about it. Kindly indicate your interest and willingness to ssist us on receipt of this message for us to clarify you on how to proceed. Note that this transaction is risk free.

All replies to allforgod@indiatimes.com and properly address to the name below.
Yours Sincerely,

Mariam/Silas Sambu


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam