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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:
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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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "necessary legal documents" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. Never ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
  • "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.
  • collinsgood25@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Goodvine Collins" <collorone_adbplc@gazeta.pl>
Reply-To: collinsgood25@hotmail.com
Date: Wed, 28 May 2008 16:23:58 -0700
Subject: From The Desk Of Mr Goodvine Collins


>From The Desk Of Mr Goodvine Collins
Auditing and Account manager
African Development Bankplc,Lagos.
Email,collinsgood25@hotmail.com

Attention,The Honourable One,

I am Mr Goodvine Collins, the director in charge of auditing and accounting
section of African Development BankPlc{ADB} Lagos,Nigeria, West Africa, and
also a special account officer of Mr. Peter Lund,an European.
He was a seasoned Engineer with shell petroleum Company,Nigeria, who
unfortunately died in a plane crash of Union Transport Africaines Flight
Boeing 727 in Cotonou, Republic of Benin on 25th December, 2003.

Before his death on the 25th December 2003, Mr.Lund has a fixed deposit
account with the bank valued $12 million usd,and no other person know about
this account or have any information relating to this account.

The account has Dr,Mrs Helen Lund as the next-of-kin,but unfortunetely,Mrs
Lund died out of protracted cancer a week before Mr lund died in plane
crash,no other person knows about this fund,excerpt me, and my investigation
revealed that his daugther died along with him in the crash.
Since then,I have made several enquiries to locate any of his extended
relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful I'm contacting you to assist in
remittance of a dormant fund as the next of kin left behind by Mr. Lund so
as not to allow the bank confiscate or declare the funds unserviceable
according to Nigeria financial law on unclaimed bills.

If this proposal is acceptable to you, kindly let me know,I have all
necessary legal documents to back up this claim. All that is required of you
is absolute honesty, total commitment, co-operation & absolute
confidentiality.
Mr Goodvine Collins

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam