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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.

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:
  • "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "to your nominated bank account" (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)
  • "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)
  • "waiting for your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +22997721813 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • steve.sandra_steve27@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: sandrasteve01 <sandrasteve01@gazeta.pl>
Reply-To: sandra_steve27@yahoo.fr
Date: Sat, 24 May 2008 15:24:06 +0100
Subject: FROM SANDRA STEVE


FROM SANDRA STEVE
THE HEAD OF FILE DEPARTMENT, AFRICAN
DEVELOPMENT BANK (ADB)
COTONOU, BENIN REPUBLIC, WEST AFRICA
TELEPHONE: 00229 9772-1813

STRICTLY PERSONAL

I know that this mail will come to you as a surprise as we have never met
before. My name is Sandra Steve. I am the bill and exchange manager in
African Development Bank. I hope that you will not expose or betray this
trust and confidence that I am about to repose in you for the mutual benefit
of our families.

I am writing in respect of a foreign customer of our Bank (Mr Jang Seajoon)
who perished along with his next of kin with Korean Air Line, flight number
801 with the whole passengers on 6th of august 1997 and for your perusal you
can view this site:

http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9708/06/guam.passenger.list

Since the demise of this our customer, I personally have watched with keen
interest to see the next of kin but all has proved abortive as no one has
come to claim his funds of US$35M (Thirty five million United States
Dollars) which has been with our branch for a very long time.

On this note, I decided to seek for whom his name shall be used as the Next
of Kin since nobody is coming for the fund again. The Banking ethics here do
not allow such money to stay more than 11 years, because the money will be
recalled to our Banks treasury as unclaimed fund after this period.

In view of this, I contacted a friend of mine who works with the Chamber of
Commerce and Industries to assist me in getting a reliable and trusted
partner who would submit an application as the next of kin or business
partner to the late customer of the bank.

The reason for a foreigner in the business is for the fact that the deceased
man was a foreigner and it is not authorized by the law guiding our Bank for
a citizen of this country to make the claim of the fund.So the request for
you as a foreigner to come into the business is necessary, it will
facilitate the release and transfer of the funds smoothly to your nominated
bank account as the only surviving relation/partner to the deceased.

If you can conveniently assure me of your ability to keep this business very
secret and confidential, you can write back to me giving me your
telephone/fax numbers so that I can send to you the specimen application for
claims which you have to send to our bank. Please, note that upon the
successful transfer of the funds to your bank account, you shall be entitled
to 30% of the total funds while the rest will be given to me on arrival in
your country.

I will not fail to bring to your notice that this business is risk free and
doesn't have any negative implication. You should not entertain any fear as
all modalities for the smooth and easy transfer of this fund have been
finalized. This transaction will be completed within 14 bank working days
immediately we start the business.

Waiting for your urgent response and please kindly delete if you are not
interested.
Regards,
Sandra Steve.sandra_steve27@yahoo.fr

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam