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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
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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.

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 sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "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)
  • "i got your address from " (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
• This email message is a orphan 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.
  • mm22terry@aim.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "GRANT STEVENSON " <mm22terry@aim.com>
Date: Wed, 03 Oct 2007 09:00:10 -0800
Subject: FAMILY VAT


FROM GRANT STEVENSON
E-mail :mm22terry@aim.com

Dear Sir/Madam,

My name is Grant Stevenson,the elder son of Mr. John Stevenson of Zimbabwe.
This might be a surprise to you about where I got your contact address. I
got your address from the Chamber of Commerce.

During the current war against the farmers in Zimbabwe from the supports of
our President Robert Mugabe to claim all the white-owned farms to his party
members and his followers, he ordered all white farmers to surrender all
their farms to his party members and his followers.

My father is one of the best farmers in our country and because he did not
support Mugabe's ideas, Mugabe's supporters invaded my father's farm and
burnt everything in the farm, killing my father and made away with a lot of
items in my father's farm.

Before his death, my father had deposited with one of the Security Company
in Europe, the sum of US$3.5 Million (Three Million Five Hundred Thousand
United States Dollars).with my name,and made every documents with my name
both the certificate of depositry.

Then after the death of my father, we decided to move to Europe where he
had deposited the money in the Security Company as valuables.

So,I decided to contact you to assist me to transfer this money out of
Security company because as asylum seekers we are not allowed to operate any
bank account within Europe. We have agreed to offer you 20% of the total sum
for your assistance, 5% will be mapped out for any expenses that may be
incurred in the course of this transaction and 75% will be for me and my
family to invest in your country.

All I want you to do is to furnish me with your full personal phone and fax
numbers for easy communication. You can contact me on the above email
address.Note that this transaction should base on trust and absolutely
confidential.

Thanks and God bless.

Best Regards.

GRANT STEVESON.
{FOR THE FAMILY}
FROM GRANT STEVENSON
E-mail :mm22terry@aim.com

Dear Sir/Madam,

My name is Grant Stevenson,the elder son of Mr. John Stevenson of Zimbabwe.
This might be a surprise to you about where I got your contact address. I
got your address from the Chamber of Commerce.

During the current war against the farmers in Zimbabwe from the supports of
our President Robert Mugabe to claim all the white-owned farms to his party
members and his followers, he ordered all white farmers to surrender all
their farms to his party members and his followers.

My father is one of the best farmers in our country and because he did not
support Mugabe's ideas, Mugabe's supporters invaded my father's farm and
burnt everything in the farm, killing my father and made away with a lot of
items in my father's farm.

Before his death, my father had deposited with one of the Security Company
in Europe, the sum of US$3.5 Million (Three Million Five Hundred Thousand
United States Dollars).with my name,and made every documents with my name
both the certificate of depositry.

Then after the death of my father, we decided to move to Europe where he
had deposited the money in the Security Company as valuables.

So,I decided to contact you to assist me to transfer this money out of
Security company because as asylum seekers we are not allowed to operate any
bank account within Europe. We have agreed to offer you 20% of the total sum
for your assistance, 5% will be mapped out for any expenses that may be
incurred in the course of this transaction and 75% will be for me and my
family to invest in your country.

All I want you to do is to furnish me with your full personal phone and fax
numbers for easy communication. You can contact me on the above email
address.Note that this transaction should base on trust and absolutely
confidential.

Thanks and God bless.

Best Regards.

GRANT STEVESON.
{FOR THE FAMILY}

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam