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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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:
  • "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. )
  • "trunk box" (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)
  • "trunk boxes" (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)
• 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.
  • michwilliams401@yahoo.co.in (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: michael williams <michaeliams401@yahoo.co.in>
Reply-To: michwilliams401@yahoo.co.in
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 04:45:11 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: Urgent Assistance Sir/Madam


Dearest Sir/Madam,

This is Michael Williams the son of late Dr Johnson Williams from
Ivory coast,I am writing you to sick for an assistance over my father deposited consignment in a security company here in Accra Ghana west Africa and i believe you could be a nice and trustworthy someone.Hence i decided to contact you in respect of my late father fund $25musd which he put inside two trunk boxes and deposited it in a security company here in Ghana before he died.

So I want you to be my foreign beneficiary who will help me to claim
and transfer this boxes out of Africa to you in your country for
investment purpose .for your foreign assistance i and my sister have agreed to
offer to you 30% of the total fund and 5% for any expenses that might
occur during this transaction. .

Please i want you to get back to me as soon as possible for further
details.

Yours truly,
Michael Williams.
email: michwilliams401@yahoo.co.in



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam