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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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• 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.

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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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • ",500,000" (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)
  • "00,000.00" (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)
  • "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin 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.
  • walid.abd@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Abdul Walid <w_abdul1958@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Sat, 24 May 2008 02:20:57 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: PLEASE I NEED YOUR URGENT REPLY IMMEDIATELY


FROM THE DESK OF MR. ABDUL&nbsp; WALID.
AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING MANAGER, BANK OF AFRICA (B.O.A) COTONOU, REP. DU BENIN.
&nbsp;BANK WEBSITE:www.boabenin.com&nbsp; OR
www.bkofafrica.net
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
DEAR FRIEND,
&nbsp;
I KNOW THIS MESSAGE WILL COME TO YOU AS A SURPRISE. I AM THE BILL AND EXCHANGE MANAGER IN BANK OF AFRICA (BOA), COTONOU, REP. DU BENIN. I HOPED THAT YOU WILL NOT EXPOSE OR BETRAY THIS TRUST AND CONFIDENT THAT I AM ABOUT TO IMPOSE ON YOU FOR THE MUTUAL BENEFIT OF OUR FAMILIES. I NEED YOUR URGENT ASSISTANCE IN TRANSFERRING THE SUM OF (US$14,500,000.00)MILLION TO YOUR ACCOUNT WITHIN 10 TO 17 BANKING DAYS. THIS MONEY HAS BEEN DORMANT FOR YEARS IN OUR BANK WITHOUT ANY BODY CLAIMING THE FUND. I WANT THE BANK TO RELEASE THE MONEY TO YOU AS THE NEAREST PERSON TO OUR DECEASED CUSTOMER (THE OWNER OF THE ACCOUNT) BELONGS TO ONE OF OUR FOREIGN CUSTOMER (MR. RICHARD BURSON FROM FLORIDA, U.S.A) WHO DIED ALONG WITH HIS ENTIRE FAMILY ON NOVEMBER 1999 IN A PLANE CRASH.FOR MORE INFORMATIONS ABOUT THE CRASH YOU CAN VISIT THIS SITE:&nbsp; http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/502503.stm
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
I DON'T WANT THE MONEY TO GO INTO OUR BANK TREASURER ACCOUNT AS AN ABANDONED FUND.&nbsp; SO THIS IS THE REASON WHY I CONTACTED YOU SO THAT THE BANK CAN RELEASE THE MONEY TO YOU AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO THE DECEASED CUSTOMER. PLEASE I WOULD LIKE YOU TO KEEP THIS PROPOSAL AS A TOP SECRET AND DELETE IT IF YOU ARE NOT INTERESTED. UPON RECEIPT OF YOUR REPLY, I WILL GIVE YOU FULL DETAILS ON HOW THE BUSINESS WILL BE EXECUTED AND ALSO NOTE THAT YOU WILL HAVE 40% OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED SUM IF YOU AGREE TO HANDLE THIS BUSINESS WITH ME AND 60% WILL BE FOR ME. LOOKING FORWARD RECEIVING YOUR RETURN MAIL WITH YOUR INFORMATION FILLED AS REQUESTED BELOW:
1. NAME IN FULL:......
2. ADDRESS:.....................
3. NATIONALITY:..............
4. AGE:...................
5. Sex.............................
6. OCCUPATION:................
8. PHONE.........................
9. MAIL.................
&nbsp;
Am waiting for your quick reply: walid.abd@hotmail.com
Thanks for your attention and Have a great day Yours Faithfully,
&nbsp;
Walid Abdul.
&nbsp;




__________________________________________________________
Sent from Yahoo! Mail.
A Smarter Email http://uk.docs.yahoo.com/nowyoucan.html

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam