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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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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:

• 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:
  • "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)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• 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.
  • maxraphfin@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: PRIMEPROMO100004@comcast.net (UK FINANCE)
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2007 11:57:24 +0000
Subject: RESPONSE

Attn:
I am Mr. Max Raph, the Chief Auditor, of a finance company in UK.
In the course of my auditing, I discovered a floating fund in an account
which was opened in 1999 belonging to a dead foreigner Late
Mr. Potgieter Johannes who died in 2005. Every effort made to track
any member of his family or next of kin has since failed; hence I got
in contact with you to stand as his next of kin since he died leaving no
heir or a will.
http://icasualties.org/oif/Civ.aspx
My intention is to transfer this sum of $15.5M (Fifteen Million Five
Hundred
thousand United States Dollars) in the aforementioned
account to a safe account overseas. I am therefore proposing that you
quietly partner with me and provide an account or set up a new one
that will serve the purpose of receiving this fund. For your assistance
in this venture, I am ready to part with a good percentage of the
entire
funds. After going through the deceased person's records and files, I
discovered that:
(1) No one has operated this account since 1999
(2) He died without any heir; hence the money has been floating.
(3) No other person knows about this account and there was no known
beneficiary.
If I do not remit this money urgently, it would be forfeited and
subsequently converted to company's funds which will benefit only the
directors of my firm. This money can be approved to you legally as
with all the necessary documentary approvals in your name. However, you
would be required to show some proof of claim which I will provide you
with and also guide you on how to make your applications.
Please do give me a reply so that I can send you detailed
information on
the modalities of my proposition. I completely trust you to keep this
proposition absolutely confidential. Kindly forward your full
names, contact address, telephone and fax numbers where I can reach you
easily. I look forward to your prompt response.You may contact me on my private
email account(maxraphfin@yahoo.co.uk)

Best Regards,
Max Raph

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam