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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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "card center will send you an atm card" (this phrase is often used in the ATM card payment scam)
  • "00,000.00" (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)
  • "central bank of nigeria" (the name of a person or institution often appearing 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.
  • +2348020817859 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: THELMA DAVIS <urgent_thelma52@live.com>
Reply-To: <urgent_thelma@hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2007 06:11:56 +0100
Subject: PLEASE READ CAREFULLY AND ACT AS I INSTRUCTED YOU



PLEASE READ CAREFULLY AND ACT AS I INSTRUCTED YOUCentral Bank of NigeriaWasu Face II,Abuja - NigeriaOffice of the Auditor GeneralFrom The Desk Of:Ms. Thelma A. Davis. {American}

Attention:Beneficiary.
I am Ms. Thelma A. Davis, an American Lady working as an auditor in Central Bank Of Nigeria, I am Instructed to officially inform you that we have verified your contract/Lotto /inheritance file and found out that why you have not received your payment is because you have not fulfilled the obligations given to you in respect of your contract/Lotto/inheritance payment.
Secondly, we have been informed that you are still dealing with none officials in the bank all in your attempt to secure the release of the fund to you. We wish to advise you that such an illegal act like this has to stop if you wish to receive your payment since we have decided to bring a solution to your problem. Right now we have arranged your payment through our SWIFT CARD PAYMENT CENTRE from European Union, which is the latest instruction from the new elected president Mr. President, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yara'dua (GCFR) Federal Republic of Nigeria.

This card center will send you an ATM card, which you will use to withdraw your money in any ATM machine in any part of the world, but the maximum is Twenty Thousand United States Dollars ($20,000.00) per day. So if you like to receive your fund in this way, please let us know and send the following information as
listed below to:1. Full name2. Phone and fax number3. Address were you want them to send the ATM card to (P.O box not acceptable)4. Your age and current occupation
We will forward your information to the director of ATM CARD payment officer Rev. Fr John Cokker upon our receipt of the above information. Or you can call him. This is his direct phone number: +2348020817859.
Note that the ATM card payment center was mandated to issue out $8,300,000.00 as part payment for this fiscal year 2007 to you so bear with us. Also for your information, you have to stop any further communication with any other person(s) or office(s) to avoid any hitches in receiving your payment. Note that because of impostors, we hereby issued you our code of conduct, which is (ATM-1616) so you have to indicate this code when contacting the card center by using it as your subject.
We anticipate your total compliance to this message immediately.

Yours sincerely,
Ms. Thelma A. Davis. {American}Auditor General [CBN]
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam