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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:

• 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:
  • "dearest one," (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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)
  • "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • v_iviane_mark@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Viviane and James Mark" <viviane.mark@yahoo.co.nz> (may be fake)
Reply-To: v_iviane_mark@yahoo.fr
Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 21:27:42 +0000
Subject: May God be with you .

Viviane AND James Mark,
Abidjan , Cote D'Ivoire
Email;v_iviane_mark@yahoo.fr


Dearest One,

Happy new year to you and all the members of your family.
I am Viviane Mark From the republic of Serria Leone I was studying of mass -communication in the university before the sudden death of our father, while my younger brother James was doing Electrical Enger,that was stopped because of our father death, as our uncle decided not to take care of our education again, after confiscating all our fathers properties.
Presently we are in Cote D'Ivoire where our late father deposited the sum of Ten million united states dollars in a financial institution here, as our uncle was not aware of the deposit.
It was the intention of our late father to invest this money abroad, hence he informed us at his hospital bed before he died and we want through you, to accomplish this aim, so that his spirit can rest in peace.
Since our arrival here we have gone to the financial institution to confirm the deposit as the really confirmed it.
We contacted you based on the agreement reached between the institution and our late father, so that you can act as our foreign partner to enable them release this deposit to you, for an investment in your country, while we come over to continue our education.
Please we have agreed to offer you 20% of the total fund for your willingness to assist us invest this money in your country.
Do contact us as soon as possible as we had the intention to come over to your country as soon as possible.

May God be with you.
Viviane And James.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam