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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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• 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.

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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "a security company " (this will cost you money - that's what the scam is about)
  • "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)
• 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.
  • francesulu@excite.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: frances yapi <francesyapih@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 3 Nov 2006 03:25:15 -0800 (PST)
Subject: sos


Dear friend,
I am glad to write this mail to you although you dont know me .I strongly solicit your strictest confidence. I got your contact during my desperate search on the internet for assistance. And thank you for sparing your time to go through my mail. My name is miss Frances Yapi, of Ivory Coast in West Africa. My nuclear family got massacred during the onset of the ongoing political unrest, and I am an orphan girl. I am desperate for your assistance to help me relocate to your country for settlement as my life is not safe in this place. My dad have secured a huge sum of money ($6.2million USD)in a security company here in Accra Ghana, before his death and i have in my possession the necessary documents to retrieve the funds from the security company. I seek an honest person who will not take advantage of me as many have tried to do ,to help me retrieve the funds from the security company and get it transferred ,assist get me the necessary travelling visas to get out of Africa
immediately. I am presently in Ghana where i have ran to, for my safety. You will be adequately rewarded for your assistances. On the receipt of your mail indicating your willingness and capabilities to execute this deal, then I will forward the necessary details of myself ,family and how you can contact the security company.
Thanks for your anticipated cooperation ,and dont fail to ask any question you may like.
Reply with this email addresses francesulu@excite.com
Regards,
Miss Frances Yapi.

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam