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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:
  • "demurrage fee" (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. )
  • "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)
  • "million 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)
  • "very confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: Joyce Addo <joyceaddo1@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: joyceaddo@myway.com
Date: Wed, 27 Feb 2008 18:13:07 -0800 (PST)
Subject: GREETINGS TO YOU


Good day,
It is my pleasure to write you but first I will like to introduce myself to you. My name is Joyce Addo, I am 20 years old, I am a tall slim fair girl and also a student in university before I lost my parents in a car accident early last year so I have been out from school and been looking for a sincere person that I will trust and love.

I am the only child of my late dead parents and the only next of kin’s to my father's property, but my uncles will not let that happen, they have taken over all my father's property just because I am a girl and I have nobody to fight for me. But I have left that in the hand of God, because He alone knows why all that is happening.

One day I had a call from my father's lawyer, he told me about a trunk box that was deposited by my father in a security company here in Accra Ghana as a family treasure, he also made me to understand that the box was deposited in my name and a foreign partner as the beneficiary. It was a miracle that I myself did not believe until I saw the documents as sign of prove, but he told me that there I most have to pay the demurrage fee of the time the box has been there.
Nobody knows about the inheritance which worth $10 million dollars in Cash put on a trunk box and deposited it in a security company here called Mid-West Security Company as a family treasure under maximum confidential so that nobody will know about the content which is cash. And I want you to also keep it very confidential till we can be able to claim out the box from the security company so that I will fly to join you immediately for future plans.

I have to trust somebody to save my future and that is why I am trusting you now I want you to understand my critical situation and give me the love and assistance that I need now so that I will have a better life and also enjoy my inheritance with you and your family. I will tell you more about myself as soon as I hear back from you and also build more trust to be able to have a better understanding.

I look forward to hear from you soonest.

Regards
Joyce ddo


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam