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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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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:
  • "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "huge sum 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)
  • "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)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: Yusuf <yus_wari1@yahoo.ca>
Reply-To: yus_wari@yahoo.ca
Date: Mon, 03 Jul 2006 23:39:38 +0200
Subject: Reply Soon,


Dear,

Due to my careful search for an honest, reliable and sincere business partner, i got your contact and i ask if you can be trusted not to break an agreement? Still, it took me time to make up my mind to contact you and to offer you this proposal of mine of which my whole life depends on.

Dear, my name is Yusuf WAZIRI, the son of the late president Dr.laurent WAZIRI, I am 21 years old and presently residing in Dakar Senegal in west Africa under political asylum. My mother happens to be a nurse whom the late president had an affair with during his life ,

and the affair resulted to my birth, but it was unfortunate that the late president did not marry my mother legally and as a kind of settlement, for my mother and i,my father deposited the sum of($18. 9 million us dollars cash) to my mother for my life inheritance to invest into companies as gold and diamond refinery in Europe. My father stashed these sum of money and deposited it in a finance house and after my father was killed by his body guard earlier 2001, and my mother died also earlier just two months after my father's death, and at the age of 21 years old, i am left with this huge sum of money ,

and i need a father or mother who will help me transfer this money overseas for immediate investment as i have made up my mind to work with you and for us to invest the money in your country as one family . I also feel that you may have better experience into investment, so please i will like you to take me like your family and handle this money for any investment you may want us to join in your country, please, all i need is you to be honest with me as not to break my hole life.

Yours sincerely,
Yusuf WAZIRI.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam