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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "a security company " (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. Never ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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)
  • "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "very confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "there is no risk involved" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "for easy and confidential communication" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +27838649787 (South Africa, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: duma sono <dsono.257@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <dsono@pnetmail.co.za>
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 08:26:58 +0200
Subject: FROM DUMA SONO







FROM:MR.DUMA SONO JOHANNESBURG SOUTH AFRICA
PHONE:+27 838 649 787 STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL


Dear
Sir/MadamCompliments of the day to you and your family.I am writing to you with much respect and honor to this letter, which must remain private and confidential. I know my proposal will come to you as a surprise since you do not precisely know me. Anyway, my mind accepted you and I believe that this proposal will bring mutual benefit for both of us. Let me use this medium to introduce myself to you, I am MR DUMA SONO , the first son of Mr.Jonas Sono, the former chairman of Diamond National Mining Co-operation and once the Director of Works and Housing before his untimely death. My Father associated himself with coup plotters that ousted the government of Ahmed Tijan Kabbah on the 25th of May 1997 and was executed including ten (10) others. As a result of his death and uncontrollable war in my country, Sierra Leone, i my mother and my junior brother and my kid sister decided to seek asylum in Johannesburg South Africa where my Father had deposited US18.6m (EIGHTEEN Million Six Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) for us.

We now want to use this money for investment in your country since we do not have anybody to assist us. Therefore, I am asking for your urgent assistance to forward this money into your country using very confidential and reliable means in which I will offer you 30% of the total amount for your king assistance, while 70% of the money will be for my family investment in your country. However, This money is safely kept in a Security Company before my father's death under disguise as precious items and nobody has any slight knowledge of what is inside the box deposited with the Security Company. In other words, there is no risk involved and so not hesitate to ask questions where necessary. All the documents covering the deposition of the money with the Security Company are intact with me.

For more information, please contact me with above phone or email to provide you with detailed information on how the transfer of this fund can be made to your country upon acceptance. Please your private phone and fax numbers will be mostly needed for easy and confidential communication. I look forward to hearing from you immediately you receive this mail.

Thanks and may God almighty bless you. Best regards, MR.Duma Sono
(For the family)
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam