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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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:
  • "million 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)
  • "foreign exchange" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
  • "god fearing " (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: <johnadamfish@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Thu, 22 May 2008 04:42:54 +0900 (JST)
Subject: COMPLEMENTS OF THE DAY MA/SIR,


&nbsp;

COMPLEMENTS OF THE DAY MA/SIR,
Tele/00228-076-49-27.
I am JOHN ADAMS, the chief accountant of Amalgamated Bank of Lome-Togo (ABSA). There is an account open in this bank in 1999 and since 2001 nobody has operated on this account again. After going through some old files in the records, I discovered that if I do not remit this money out urgently it
would be forfeited for nothing. The owner of this account is Mr. Morris Thompson, a foreigner, Business Man and a miner at Kruger Gold Company, a Geologist by profession and he died since 2000. Ever then no other person knows this account or anything concerning it, the account has no other
beneficiary and my investigation proved to me as well that this company does not know anything about this account and the money involved is One hundred and Thirty Six Million United States Dollars (US$ 136 Million). I want us to first transfer US$ 36 Million from this money into your safe
overseas account before the rest. I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money cannot be approved to a local bank here, but can only be approved to any foreign account because the money is in United States Dollars and the former owner Mr. Morris Thompson is a foreigner too. I know
that this message will come to you as surprise as we don稚 know ourselves before. We will sign an agreement, but be sure that it is real and a genuine business. You can view the web site bellow for more information on our late client.

http://archives.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska.airlines.list/


I only got your contact information from my secretary who operates computer; with believe in God that you will never let me down in this business, considering my position as a public servant. You are the only person that I have contacted in this business; so please reply urgently so that I will
inform you the next step to take immediately. Send also your private telephone and fax numbers including the full details of your account to be used for the deposit. I want us to meet face-to-face and sign a binding agreement to bind us together so that you can receive this money into your
account where the fund will be safe. And I will fly to your country for withdrawal and sharing and other investment.

Meanwhile, I am contacting you because of the need to involve a foreigner with foreign account and foreign beneficiary. I need your full co-operation to make this work fine because the management is ready to approve this payment to any foreigner who has correct information of this account, which
I will give to you as soon as you indicate your sincerity to co-operate with me, and capability to handle such amount in strict confidence and trust according to my instruction and advice for our mutual benefit because this opportunity may never come again in my life. I need a truthful and God
fearing person in this business because I don稚 want to make a mistake so I need your strong assurance and trust. With my position in the office I don稚 want anything that will jeopardize my job so I advice that we should make secrecy and confidentiality our primary working condition,
bearing in mind that I am a public servant. I will also use my position and influence to effect legal approvals and onward transfer of this money to your account with appropriate clearance forms of the ministries and foreign exchange department.


At the conclusion of this business, you will be giving 35% of the total amount, 60% will be for me, while 5% will be for expenses both parties might have incurred, the process of the transfer. I look forward to your earliest reply.
Yours faithfully,
JOHN ADAMS



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam