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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.

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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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • nelsoncham1999@myway.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Barrister Nelson Smith" <nelsonsmithchamber@mynet.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: nelsonsmithchamber@strompost.com
Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2006 18:51:21 +0100
Subject: Greeting in God's name Amen?

From the desk of :
Barrister Nelson Smith
Nelson Smith& Associates London.

Dear Friend,

I am Barrister Nelson Smith, OF NELSON SMITH CHAMBER & CO. This mail is written and intended to solicit your assistance to be presented as NEXT OF KIN to my Late Client. My Deceased Client Richard Burson, (77, Venice Isles, Florida, USA) made a fixed Deposit of Fund valued at USD28.3M (TWENTY = EIGHT MILLION,THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS ONLY) with a Security Firm in London and unfortunately lost his life aboard Egypt Air Flight 990, which crashed in to the Atlantic Ocean on November 2nd,1999 (news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/502503.stm) and left no clear beneficiary as Next of Kin except some vital documentsrelated to the Deposit still with me.

The Governing Body of the bank has contacted me on this matter and I am yet to provide the Next of Kin to lay claims to the Fund. Under a clearand legitimate agreement with you, I shall seek your consent to be presented as the next of Kin so that my late Clients' Fund will not be confiscated by the bank .For the sake of transparency on this matter, you are free to make immediate contact with me through my e-mail (nelsoncham1999@myway.com) for further information related to this matter.Thank you very much for your anticipated acceptance while we expect your prompt response.

Yours faithfully,
Barrister Nelson Smith

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam