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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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
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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.

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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "huge amount of money" (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)
  • "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.
  
• 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.
  • dandymobutu@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Dandy mobutu <dandymobutu@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2008 05:41:51 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: URGENT ASSISTANCE


DEAR FRIEND,

I AM PASTOR DANDY MOBUTU FROM CHURCH OF CHRIST IN COTONOU BENIN REPUBLIC OF WEST AFRICA, A MEMBER OF THIS CHURCH WHOM HER HUSBAND DIED FEW YEARS AGO AND ONE TIME PRESIDENT WANTS TO CONTACT A PERSON WHO CAN BE HER FORIEGN PARTNER SINCE HER ILL HEALTH COULD NOT ALLOW HER GET A PERSON SHE CAN TRUST AND TO INTRODUCE FOR HER A GOOD INVESTOR WHO CAN HELP HER INVEST HER MONEY OVERSEAS A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT IS INVOLVED HERE.

THEN AS THE PASTOR OF HER CHURCH SHE DIRECTED ME TO CONTACT HER A GOOD PERSON OVERSEAS WHO CAN BE HER NEXT OF KIN THERE FOR THE TRANSFER AS HER CHILDREN ARE STILL SMALL TO MANAGE HER WEALTH.
AFTER THIS FUND IS TRANSFERED TO YOU WE EXPECT YOU TO SEE HER CHILDREN AS YOURS AND YOU WILL PROMISE HER OF GOOD MANAGEMENT OF THIS FUND, NO RISK WHAT EVER, OTHER INFORMATION YOU NEEDED SHALL BE GIVEN TO YOU.

NOTE:THE CHILDREN ARE STILL IN THE SHOOL AND THEY ARE SMALL CHILDREN, IF THIS IS OK BY YOU DO NOT HESITATE TO REPLY US ON THIS SAME E-MAIL dandymobutu@yahoo.com ADDRESS SO THAT WE CAN GIVE YOU DETAILS AND THE AMOUNT INVOLVED AND ALSO TO DISCUSS YOUR PERCENTAGE WITH THE SICK WOMAN ALL INFORMATIONS CONCERNING THE FUND WILL THEN BE GIVEN TO YOU REGARDING TO THIS TRANSACTION,WAITING TO HEAR FROM YOU.

THANKS
YOURS SINCERELY
PASTOR.DANDY MOBUTU.



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam