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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
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• 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.

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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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "George Ofori" <geoofo18@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2008 07:02:06 -0800
Subject: VERY URGENT


Dear Friend.

I am Mr George Ofori the manager of Auditing and Accounting department of a
prime bank in Africa. In my department,i discovered an abandoned sum of
US$25.6 Million dollars (Twenty five Million Six Hundred Thousand dollars)
in an account that belongs to one of our foreign customers (John Shumejda)
who died in a plane crash on 4 January 2002. You can view this CNN site for
more details.

http://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/01/04/england.plane/

I need a reliable someone with a foreign account to be able to receive this
money, even an empty account can serve to claim this money.Should you be
willing to complete this transaction,send to me your private telephone
number for easy and effective communication and location. As soon as the
transfer is concluded you are entitled to 25% of the total fund. Upon
receipt of your reply, I will give you more details on this transaction
trusting to hearing from you Soonest.

Please reply me directly to my personal email address for further
correspondence and privacy. *georgeofo@live.com*

Yours Faithfully,

George Ofori.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam