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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
  (+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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "million british pounds" (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)
  • "commission of 10%" (Beware of any scheme that involves depositing checks or money orders or receiving wire transfers in your bank account and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere, for a percentage of 5-15% of the total. Such offers are *always* fraudulent and you will be liable for the entire amount when the checks, money orders or wire transfers turn out to be fraudulent. Any money already forwarded comes out of *your* pocket then. )
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • riberywales@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: rich.bruno@zipmail.com.br
Date: Wed, 14 Nov 2007 17:31:58 +0100
Subject: =?iso-8859-1?Q?INVESTMENT=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E?=

From: Mr.Ribery Wales
Head of Investments,
Standard Life International.

Re: Investment with S. L. International.

I send you greetings. I have found your contact email address listed on
an Internet Business Directory and it is my wish to do business with you,
hence your receipt of this letter.

The purpose of this letter is to introduce myself to you. I am Mr.Ribery
Wales, Managing Partner, Standard Life International. Standard Life International
is a business consulting firm, offering business advisor services worldwide.
We are not a very big company but we have recently been confronted with
the task of investing funds exceeding our capacity and have decided to seek
partners to cooperate with us in investing the available funds because we
have never done business of this nature.

We are brokering an investment venture on behalf of a client of our firm.
This venture will involve the investment of Twenty Five Million British
Pounds. We are by this letter considering entering into a partnership with
you so as to allow us invest the available funds in your country and to
appoint you as representatives and co-managers of the investment funds.
We are ready to give you a commission of 10% of the available capital as
soon as the proposed partnership between us is started.

Since we cannot determine if this email is still functional and also your
willingness to cooperate with us, we have kept this proposal brief. If you
are interested in this offer of partnership, please respond to enable us
give further information about the proposed partnership. If you have any
questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
Your expedient response will be appreciated as we look forward to hearing
from you soon.

Please send all email correspondence to personal email address riberywales@yahoo.com

Thank you.
Ribery Wales Mr.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam