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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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• 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.

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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:
  • "hundred thousand united state 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)
  • ",000,000" (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)
  • "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: Yahoo!Online Lottery Organizer <infomail10@yahoo.de>
Date: Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:00:49 +0200
Subject: LUCKY WINNER



*/ /**/ YAHOO INTERNET LOTTERY/**/ /*<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> (Send email message) */CONGRATULATIONS!/*<o:p></o:p>Yahoo! Mail announces you as one of the 10 lucky winners in the ongoing 12 Years Yahoo lottery Award of the New Year 2007.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p>All 10 winning email addresses were randomly selected from a batch of 50,000,000 international emails each from Canada. Australia. United State, Asia. Europe. Middle East, Africa and Oceania as part of our international promotions program which is conducted annually, consequently, you have been approved for a total pay out of SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATE DOLLARS ( $600.000 .00) <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p>This Lottery was promoted and sponsored by a conglomerate of some multinational companies and the WORLD BANK as part of their social responsibility to the citizens in the communities where they have operational base.<o:p></o:p><o:p

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam