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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.

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:
  • "account in your country or any safer place" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
  • "calvary greetings" (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
• This email message is a orphan 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.
  • sarahmustafa001@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "sarah mustafa" <sarahmustafa004@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 7 Jul 2008 10:07:32 +0000
Subject: Sarah Mustafa


Sarah Mustafa

Abidjan (CI)
West Africa

sarahmustafa001@yahoo.com



Dearest One

Calvary greetings to you,

May it not be suprise recieving this mail since you never know me.
I am Sarah Mustafa from Sierra Leone.And being that I lost my parents,I
decided to convey to you my problems here in Afirca.My father was a serving
director of the Cocoa exporting board until his death .He was assassinated
by the rebels following the political uprising. Before his death he had a
foreign account here in Cote d'Ivoire $2.5M which he told the bank was for
the importation of cocoa processing machine.I want you to do me a favour to
receive this funds to a safe account in your country or any safer place as
the beneficiary .

I have plans to do investment in your country, please Iam writing with
broken heart condition because of how I lost my beloved parents and since
that time, no one cares for me and that is why i am contacting you now so
that after everything, i will come to country to stay with you while you
will go on to invest the money for me.

AND I WILL REWARD YOU WITH 15 PERCENT FOR YOUR NOBBLE DEEDS. God will reward
you as you going to help me out of this predicament

Thanks and best regards

Sarah Mustafa

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam