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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:
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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:
  • "million united state 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)
  • "your urgent reply" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
  • "j'ai une nouvelle adresse mail" (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
  • "power of attorney" (with your bank details and a power of attorney form criminals sometimes empty bank accounts)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "high court" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • s_lucas700@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • s_lucas980@yahoo.de (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: =?iso-8859-1?q?smith=20lucas?= <s_lucas700@yahoo.fr>
Reply-To: s_lucas980@yahoo.de
Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2007 17:32:28 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: KINDLY ASSISTANCE ME


J'ai une nouvelle adresse mailVous pouvez maintenant m'écrire à : s_lucas700@yahoo.fr



- Dear Sir,I will first intruduce my self to you. I am Barrister Smith Lucas a lawyer by profession who is based in Lagos Nigeria.I am a confidential lawyer to Mrs Stella Obasanjo the wife of Nigeria President who died on saturday 22/10/2005 in a spanish hospital where she was undergoing operation. Before her sudden death, she deposited the sum of ten million united state dollars($10m) in one security and finance company with headquiters in Spain and all the documents are now with me in my chamber.As a matter of urgency I need your help and assistance to receive the money on my behalf as a deal, I will compensate you with 35% of the total sum while 60% will be for me.5% will be used for any expenses that may arise in the process of collecting the money from the security company. Your urgent reply is highly needed because i will like this money to be within your reach before ten day from the day you reply. As soon as you indicate your interest,I will send the copy of the deposit certificate to you and iwill give you the power of attorney from the high court and a copy will be sent to the security company which will enable the security company to contact you for the collection of the money. I will come over to your country as soon as you have secured the money from the security.I will like to invest part of my share of the money in your country in any good and profitable business with you as a guide. Please for security reasons, keep this transaction within yourself for our own interest. Until I hear from you, my dreams will rest squarely on your shoulders. May the almighty (GOD) continue to guide and protect you.I look forward to hearing from you. Kindly send your response to s_lucas980@yahoo.de Best Regards,Barrister Smith Lucas

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam