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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery 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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "please endeavor 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)
  • "hundred thousand united states 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)
  • "contact me immediately" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "Ofu Obidima" <ofu1@dayyou.com>
Reply-To: <ofuobidima@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2006 00:29:01 +0700
Subject: NEW MESSAGE 15/10/2006 REPLY

PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL
===========================
Dear Friend,

My name is Mr. Ofu Obidima, I am the credit manager in a bank here in
the West Africa. I am contacting you of a business transfer, of a huge
sum of money from a deceased account. Though I know that a transaction
of this magnitude will make any one apprehensive and worried, but I am
assuring you that everything has been well taken care off, and all will
be well at the end of the day. I decided to contact you due to the
urgency of this transaction. To ease your apprehension, I got your
contact
from the British chambers of commerce and industry, foreign trade
division. PROPOSITION; I am the account officer of a foreigner named
Gerald Welsh who died in an air crash along with his wife on the 23rd
December 2003 in an Union Transport Africaines with other passengers on
board.
You can confirm this from the website below which was published by
China daily. WEBSITE. http://
www.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-12/26/content_293549.htm

Since his death, none of his next-of-kin are alive to make claims for
this money as his heir, because they all died in the same accident (May
his soul rest in peace). We cannot release the fund from his account
unless someone applies for claim as the next-of-kin to the deceased as
indicated in our banking guidelines. Upon this discovery, I now seek
your permission to have you stand as a next of kin to the deceased, as
all documentations will be carefully worked out by a lawyer for the
funds Five million, Five Hundred Thousand United States dollars
(US$5,500,000.00) in a domiciliary account to be released in your favor
as the
beneficiary's next of kin. Because after four years the money will be
called back to the bank treasury as unclaimed bills and the money
shared amongst the directors of the bank. so it is on this note i
decided to
seek for whom his name shall be used as the next of kin/beneficiary to
this funds rather than allow the bank directors to share the money
amongst themselves at the end of the year. It may interest you to know
that we have secured from the probate an order of mandamus to locate
any
of the deceased beneficiaries.

Please acknowledge receipt of this message in acceptance of our mutual
business endeavor by furnishing me with the following information if
you are interested.

1. A Beneficiary name. In order for me to prepare the PAPER WORK for
transfer of the funds in your name.
2.Details particulars of your contact address.
3. Direct Telephone and fax numbers; For our personal contact.

I shall be compensating you with 25% of the total sum on final
conclusion of this project for your assistance, as I have also thought
of
doling out 5% to charity organisation from your locality based on your
recommendation another 5% for the services of the lawyer while the
balance
65% shall be for me for investment purposes in your country as i cannot
bring back this cash to my country. If this proposal is acceptable by
you, please endeavor to contact me immediately.

Do not take undue advantage of the trust I have bestowed in you by
informing you of this transaction from my bank as I will advise you to
kindly desist from responding at all if you do NOT intend to render any
assistance.

Thanks and best regards,

Mr. Ofu Obidima


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam