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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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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:
  • "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "the consignment" (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)
  • ",000,000" (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)
  • "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)
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "cotonou" (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.
  

Fraud email example:

From: Evans Obe <az_eva47@hotmail.fr>
Reply-To: <evansobe_cb@myway.com>
Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2008 21:55:04 +0100
Subject: I need your full trust



strictly confidential.
I know this will come to you as a surprise because you do not know me.
I am Mr. Evans Obe; I work in the citi bank cotonou republic of Benin, west Africa, packaging and courier department. i got your contact in my search for a honest person. I want you to clear this package that is already intact which will be shipped in through our citi bank accredited courier agent but the contents of the package is ($22,000,000.00) all in $100.00 bills, belonging to our former president, but the courier company does not know that it is his money that I have in the package.
all I want you to do for me now is to forward to me this below information. your full names, residential/office address, private phone/fax number, nationality, occupation, marital status & age, and I hope that at the end of the day, you will have 30% and70% will be for me and my colleagues.
if this arrangement is okay by you, other modalities will be discussed as soon as you get back to me immediately you receive this mail and feel that you will assist me in this matter, so that we can discuss on how to get the consignment of money delivered to your address and your sincerity towards this matter.
yours faithfully,
Mr. Evans Obe
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam