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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• 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.

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:
  • "please indicate your willingness" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "chambers" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • barristerdouglas@mighty.co.za (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "office files" <deskfiles4@gala.net>
Date: Sat, 5 Jul 2008 20:03:53 +0100
Subject: Your Urgent Reply Is Needed ASAP


FROM (SAB) DOUGLAS A. SUNG FIRST CLASS CHAMBERS
Boulevard de la Marina 08 BP 0929
COTONOU BENIN; BENIN REPUBLIC

Attn: Good Friend,


This message might come to you in utmost surprise; however, it all just my
urgent need for a foreign partner that made me to contact you for this
transaction, to be sincere, I got your contact from our international
emails dictionary tourist search while I was searching for a foreign
partner.
Meanwhile, I will like to introduce myself, I am (SAB) DOUGLAS A .SUNG, a
personal attorney to late (Engr. Carl Ben. Winston) who used to work with
Investment Petroleum Development Company (IPDC) Nigeria near by country to
Benin Republic in West Africa.

(Engr. Carl Ben Winston) is a foreign customer of a Bank in Benin Republic
in West Africa and he deposited (US$25M) as a personal fist deposit before
he lost his life together with his family in Air Crash in Tshikapa
Democratic Republic of the Congo on October 4, 2007 in his trip holidays;
see to the web for more understanding
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/10/04/congo.crash/index.html

Since demise of (Engr. Carl Ben Winston) with his family, I personally have
tried to locate any relation who will stand as his next kin but the whole
effort proved abortive as none has Come to claim his funds of US$25M (Twenty
five million United States Dollars).

Now The bank Write me instructed me as his attorney to provide my client
next of kin, and i need a help because i never want this funds to remain up
to bank use, because the banking law here never allow a citizen of this
country is such claim.

If you can conveniently assure me of your ability to keep this business very
secret and
confidential, I have every documents to back you as new beneficiary and this
funds will transfer to your account .Please indicate your willingness by
sending the below information to my (Email Address :
barristerdouglas@mighty.co.za ) for more clarification and easy
communication.

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

Waiting for your urgent response and please kindly delete if you are not
Interesting.
Regards,
(SAB) Barr: Douglas A . Sung

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam