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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• 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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "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)
  • "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: Mathew Zingi <mzingi@sify.com>
Reply-To: mzingi@myway.com
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 12:01:20 +0400
Subject: A request for investment assistance


Beloved,

I am writing to ask for your assistance in investment to the tone of us$16m (sixteen million us dollars).

I am Mathew Zingi, 24 years of age and I am from Abidjan – Cote D’Ivoire here in West Africa.

The fund in question is presently lodged with a private security firm there in Abidjan-Cote D’Ivoire while I am with all the relevant documents of this deposit.

Please be informed that the funds has a clean origin and involves no illegality as my late father made the funds out of legitimate businesses.

It will be worthy to inform you here now that contacting you is as a result of my present situation which has made me an orphan after the brutal murder of all my family members in the recent political crises in my country.

I was a forced to drop out of school by this situation and since such funds are available for me to continue life, my inexperience in business has forced me to look for someone outside my country to guide me into it.

My requests include the following;
1. that you help me receive the funds from the security firm
2. that you will help me obtain a traveling document out of here
3. that you will lead me into investment(s) in any lucrative business
4. and that you will help me finish my educational career

For these much needed assistance, I have decided to compensate you with 20% of the total funds while 5% will be to settle any expenses incurred in the course of the transaction.

Finally, I wish to inform you that it is a risk free transaction but for the fear of insecurity on my side, I would want you to please keep this transaction to yourself at least till I leave this wicked side of the world.

Regards,

Mathew Zingi

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam