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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:

• 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:
  • "may come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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)
  • "hundred thousand united states 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)
  • "contact me immediately" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
• 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.
  • richeal_anderson@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Miss Richeal Anderson <richeal_anderson2@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: richeal_anderson@yahoo.com
Date: 24 Apr 2008 13:18:33 +0200
Subject: Miss Richeal Anderson

Content-Type: text/plain
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit


>From Rep of Sierra Leone.
Email address(richeal_anderson@yahoo.com)

It is a sincere gratitude to acquaint you with this proposal for the purpose of investment in your country. I know this letter may come to you as a surprise since we have not met before.

My name is Miss Richeal Anderson 'the Daughter of late Engr and Mrs. Anderson Henry . My late father was the Director Minister of Petrolum in Rep. of Sierra Leone and my late father was killed by rebbels and my mother died when i was 6years old. After The death of my both parents,I and my lettle brother went down to Ghana in west africa with the help of a good sameritan, my late father deposited the amount of $25,400, 000 us dollars (tewenty five Million four hundred thousand United States Dollars) in the security company in china and the management of the security did not know that the trunk box is money because my late father decleared it as family valuable items for security reasons.

Why I contacted you is for you to help me in claiming the trunk box, I want you to act as my my father's foreign business partner and as the new beneficiary of the trunk box, as soon as I receive your mail i will like to forward the contact of the security company in china so that you can contact them. I have agreed that as soon as you help me in retrival of the trunk box from the security company, your compensation is 25% of the total sum while 5% will be mapped out for any expenses that may incure towards the transaction.

If you are willing to assist me in respect of this transaction, kindly contact me immediately and send your telephone number and your contacts details so that I will direct you for more informations. I am waiting to receive your urgent mail.
Thanks and God bless.
Waiting .
Miss Richeal Anderson.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam