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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!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• 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)
  • "hundred thousand us 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 "New Partner from Paraguay" scam.
• 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.
  • collinskelly200@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: johnben@freenet.de
Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2008 02:04:37 +0100
Subject: CONTACT MY SECRETARY IMMEDIATELY


Dear friend,

I am very happy to inform you about my success in
getting that fund Now, I want you to contact my secretary on the
information below.

NAME; Collins Kelly
EMAIL collinskelly200@yahoo.fr


Ask him to send you the total sum of $1.200.000.00. One million Two
hundred thousand US dollars in a bank draft, which I kept for your
compensation.
CONTACT HIM ON this email collinskelly200@yahoo.fr

1.
FULL NAMES:...........
2. ADDRESS:..............
3. SEX:.........
4.
AGE:.........
5. MARITAL STATUS:.............
6
OCCUPATION:..................
7. E-MAIL ADDRESS:...............
8.
TELEPHONE NUMBER:..........
9. FAX:NUMBER:................
10.BREIF
DESCRIPTION
COMPANY/INDIVIDUAL:................
11.CITY:..............
12.
STATE:............
13.COUNTRY:...........

Regards,
Dr.John Ben

CONTACT MY SECRETARY IMMEDIATELY
Unbegrenzter Speicher,
Top-Spamschutz, 120 SMS und eigene E-MailDomain
inkl.
http://office.freenet.de/dienste/emailoffice/produktuebersicht/power/mail/index.html

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam