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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:
  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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• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:
  • "a security company " (this will cost you money - that's what the scam is about)
• This email message is a "dying widow" scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs Prisca Konan" <mrs_prisca@she.com> (may be fake)
Date: Fri, 6 Oct 2006 22:15:49 +0700
Subject: Greeting in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ(Mrs Prisca Konan)

Greeting in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ

I am Mrs Prisca Konan, a widow to late Martins Konan. I am 69 years old, I am now a new Christian convert, suffering from long time cancer of the breast, from all indication my condition is really deteriorating and it is quite obvious that I won’t live more than six months, according to my doctors.
This is because the cancer stage has gotten to a very bad stage. My late husband died on air crash when returning from a business trip in Europe to Côte d’Ivoire, and during the period of our marriage we couldn’t produce any child.
My late husband was very wealthy and after his death, I inherited all his business and wealth. The doctors has advised me that I may not live for more than six months, so I now decided to divide the part of this wealth, to contribute to the development of the church in Africa, America, Asia, and Europe. I prayed over it, I am willing to donate the sum of $15,000.000.00 MD U.S DOLLARS, to the less privileged. Please I want to note you that fund is lying in a security company and upon my instruction, my attorney, who presently is in Africa distributing relief materials to of bomb-last in Sierra-Leone, will file in an application for the transfer of the money in your name. Lastly, I honestly pray that this money when transferred will be sure for the said purpose, because I have come to find out that wealth acquisition without Christ is vanity. May the grace of our Lord Jesus the love of God and the fellowship of God be with you and your family.
I await urgent reply.
Yours in Christ.
Mrs Prisca Konan

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam