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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:
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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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "please indicate your willingness" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million 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)
  • "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)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
• 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.
  • yusuf_ahmed880@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "yusuf_ahmed3 Gazeta.pl" <yusuf_ahmed3@gazeta.pl>
Date: Sat, 24 May 2008 19:00:30 +0000
Subject: FROM THE DESK OF DR YUSUF AHMED


FROM THE DESK OF DR YUSUF AHMED
BILL AND EXCHANGE MANAGER
AFRICA DEVELOPMENT BANK
OUAGADOUGOU,
BURKINA FASO.

TOP SECRET

Dear Friend,

This message might meet you in utmost surprise. However, it all just my
urgent need for a foreign partner that made me to contact you for this
transaction. I got your contact from yahoo tourist search while i was
searching for a foreign partner. I assured of your capability and
reliability to champion this business opportunity when i prayed to God about
you.


I am DR.YUSUF AHMED. the bill and exchange manager at the foreign remittance
department of AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK BURKINA-FASO, WEST AFRICA . I have
the opportunity of transferring the left over funds ($22.5 Million Dollars)
of one of my bank clients late Mr MBOGO EDWARDS from TAIWAN who died along
with his entire family on the 25Th of December 2003 in Benin plane crash.
Here is the air crash website on cn
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/index.html


Hence; i am inviting you for a business deal where this money can be shared
between us in the ratio of 60/40 if you agree to my business proposal.
Further details of the transfer will be forwarded to you as soon as i
receive your return mail immediately you receive this letter. Be rest
assured that this business is 100% risk free on both side and every
arrangement to transfer this money to the Account you are going to provide
have been concluded provided we maintain the confidentiality and
secreceirity involved. Get back to me, with my privet mail address for more
details (yusuf_ahmed880@yahoo.com<http://us.mc464.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=yusuf_ahmed880@yahoo.com>
).

Please indicate your willingness by sending the below information for more
clarification and easy communication.


(1) YOUR FULL NAME
(2) YOUR CONTACT ADDRESS
(3) YOUR TEL AND FAX NUMBER

Trusting to hear from you immediately.
Thanks & Best Regards,
Dr yusuf Ahmed
PRIVATE TELEPHONE 226 76 92 37 90
PRIVATE EMAIL:
(yusuf_ahmed880@yahoo.com<http://us.mc464.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=yusuf_ahmed880@yahoo.com>
)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam