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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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "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)
  • "million 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.
  • barr_mcbriggs@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: mcbriggs3@zipmail.com.br
Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2007 05:19:30 -1200
Subject: =?iso-8859-1?Q?The=20Great=20Opportunity?=

Dear sir/Madam
Please reply to: barr_mcbriggs@yahoo.com

I am Mr. michael briggs Attorney and financial adviser to Mr. Burke Sean(Late).
I have an urgent and very confidential business proposition for you.

Mr. Burke Sean prior to his unexpected death, deposited a huge sum of money
(5.2 million united states dollars) with a financial institution in europe.
eventually, thia client died in a plane crash and since his death we have
not had anybody come up for the cliams as the next of kin. You may want
to take a look at other passengers who were on the same plane, here is a
site for your perusal.

http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9708/06/guam.passenger.list/

A situation I have monitored closely with the financial institution. Now
having monitored this deposit and managed it over the years before his death
and hence nobody has showed up as the next of kin for the past years.

I now solicit for your assistance to present you as the next of kin as every
other arrangement has been concluded by me. I am only waiting for a foriegner
to take possesion of the deposit from the security firm. This does not have
any risk attached to it as all the document pertaining to the deposit are
currently intact. As his personal Attorney I cannot make claim regarding
the funds, all I have to do is to donate somebody as his next of kin and
benenficiary to share the proceed 50/50 after the final conclusion of the
subject matter.

I therefore request you to confirm your interest by a return message through
my email ad I weill furnish you with details and more information on to
go about the cliam of the deposit from the company.
Best regards,

Michael Briggs.
barr_mcbriggs@yahoo.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam