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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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million us 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)
  • "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
  • "lome togo" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +2289112088 (Togo, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • mohdbida@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "mohd bida" <mohdbida13@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:42:04 +0200
Subject: YOUR ASSISTANCE IS NEEDED PLS....................PLS CALL ME +228 911 20 88 FOR DETAILS.


FROM : MR MOHAMED BIDA
AUDITING DEPARTMENT
AFRICA DEVELOPMENT BANK.
LOME TOGO.
TEL:00 228 911 2088
PRIVATE EMAIL. mohdbida@yahoo.com

Dear Friend,

Please I would appreciate your urgent call after you go through my mail.I
have a proposal for you - this however is not mandatory nor will I in any
manner compel you to honour against your will. I am 50, and work with a bank
(one of the African leading Banks in the West Coast). Here in this Bank
existed a dormant account for the past 8 years which belong to an American
national who is now late Mr.Raymond Beck. Mr Raymond Beck However died on
EgyptAir Flight 990.Please view related site:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EgyptAir_Flight_990
http://www.cnn.com/US/9910/31/egyptair.04/
http://www.ntsb.gov/events/ea990/default.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/world/americas/502503.stm
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/1999/11/01/iran/main49778.shtml

There have not been any withdrawals from this account for this long period,
I decided to carry out a system investigation and discovered that non of the
family member nor relations of the late person is aware of this account.The
account is classified as abandoned.

This is the story in a nutshell. Now I want an account overseas where the
bank will transfer this funds.Thereafter, I had planned to destroy all
related documents for this account. It is a careful network and for the past
eleven months I have worked out everything to ensure a hitch-free operation.
The amount is not so much at the moment and plus all the accumulated
interest the balance in this account stands at-(US$ 7.5 million US dollars).

Now our questions are:-

1. Can you handle this project?

2. Can I give you this trust?

3. What will be your commission? If you can sponsor this transfer.

4. Reply with phone&fax numberes.

Consider this and get back to us as soon as possible. Finally, it is our
humble prayer that the information as contained herein be accorded the
necessary attention, urgency as well as the secrecy it deserves.

I Expect your urgent response if you can handle this project after sending
a mail for confirmation.

Respectfully yours,

Mr Mohamed Bida

+228 911 20 88
REPLY TO .mohdbida@yahoo.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam