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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:

• 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:
  • "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "urgent assistance" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
• 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.
  • hanspeterb@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Hans Peter Brütsch" <bank_in_switzerland@web.de> (may be fake)
Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2007 12:59:39 +0200
Subject: VERY URGENT

RAIFFEISENBANKVIERWALDSTAETTER SEE
Ennetbuergerstr. 1,
CH-6374 Buochs / Switzerland
EMAIL: hanspeterb@yahoo.co.uk

SIR/ MADAM,

I know that this message will come to you as a surprise. I AM A SECRETARY OF FOREIGN REMITTANCE DIRECTOR RAIFFEISENBANK VIERWALDSTAETTER SEE . I Hope that you will not expose or betray this trust and confident that i am about to repose to you for the mutual benefit of our both families.

I need your urgent assistance in transferring the sum of (18, 200,000 USD) to your account within 14 banking days. This money has been dormant for years in our Bank without claim. I want the bank to release the money to you as the nearest person to our deceased customer a German property consultant and exporter of used cars,Mr Andreas Schranner that made a numbered time (Fixed) Deposit for twelve calendar months

It was to our utter suprise that we heard of his death, wife and children in an AF4590 plane crash on Monday, 31 July, 2000 . See website below: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm </jump.htm?goto=http%3A%2F%2Fnews%2Ebbc%2Eco%2Euk%2F1%2Fhi%2Fworld%2Feurope%2F859479%2Estm>



I don't want the money to go into our Bank treasurer as an abandoned fund. So this is the reason why i contacted you so that the bank can release the money to you as the next of kin to the deceased customer.

Please I would like you to keep this proposal as a top secret and delete it if you are not interested. Upon receipt of your reply,i will give you full details on how the business will be executed and also note that you will have 35% of the above mentioned sum if you agree to handle this business with me.

Best Regard.

Hans Peter Brütsch

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam