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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "hundred thousand united state 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)
  • "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "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)
  • "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
  • "lome togo" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "PRINCE WENDE" <prince_wende@yahoo.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: prince.wende@yahoo.it
Date: Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:42:43 +0000
Subject: FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION.................

FROM: MR PRINCE WENDE.
DIRECTOR IN CHARGE OF SECTION.
BANK OF AFRICA (B.O.A)
LOME TOGO.

Dear Friend,

STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL

I know that this mail will come to you as a surprise as we neever met before. I am the Director in charge of Auditing section of B.O.A Bank of African, I Hoped that you will not expose or betray this trust and confident that I am about to repose on you for the mutual benefit of our both families.

I need your urgent assistance in transferring the sum of Five Million Five Hundred Thousand united state dollars.($5.5mUSD, Immediately to your account.
The money has been dormant (in-active) for 10 years in our Bank here without any body coming for it.

I want to release the fund to you as the nearest person to our deceased customer (the owner of the account) who died a long with his supposed next of kin in air crash since on February 21, 2003.

I don't want the fund to go into our Bank treasury as an abandoned fund, so this is the reason why I contacted you, so that my Bank will release the fund to you as the nearest person to the deceased customer. Please I would like you to keep this proposal as a top secret and delete it if you are not interested.
Upon receipt of your reply, I will send you the application form which you will send to our bankas the next of kin and also note that you will have 40% of the above mentioned amount if you agree to help me execute this business. And also 10 % had been mapped for you for the expense you will make in this transaction and 50% is for me. I need you information so that I will send you the application form.
YOUR FULL INFOEMATIONS
YOUR NAME...............................
YOUR HOME ADDRESSES............
COUNTRY...................................
HOME TELEPHONE......................
PRIVATE TELEPHONE.................
FAX NO.......................................
MARITAL STATUS.......................
AGE............................................
OCCUPATION..............................
Thanks and waiting for your urgent response,

Best Regards
MR PRINCE WENDE.
DIRECTOR IN CHARGE OF SECTION.
B.O.A BANK OF AFRICA.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam