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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "hundred thousand 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)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a orphan scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "natalie jones" <nataliejones5@superposta.com>
Reply-To: natijo3@yahoo.fr
Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:14:01 +0000
Subject: From: Miss.Natalie Jones


From: Miss.Natalie Jones
Abidjan -Côte d'Ivoire

My dear One,

It is my pleasure to contact you for a business venture which I have intend
to establish in your country.Though I have not met with you before but I
believe, one has to risk confiding in someone to succeed sometimes in
life.There is this amount of Five Million Five Hundred Thousand US Dollars
($5.500.000.00) which my late father and mother deposited with a local bank
in Abidjan Capital city of Cote d'Ivoire which he wanted to used for his
political ambition in our Country before he was assassinated.

Now I have decided to invest these money in your country or anywhere safe
enough outside Cote d'Ivoire for security and political reasons.I want you
to help me claim and receive the funds which will be transferred to your
account to enable you plan for the investment in your Country I will like to
invest part of the money into these three investment in your Country but, if
there is any other business that is better than my suggestion, I will be
very glad to follow your advice.
1) Real estate
2) The transport industry
3) Five star hotel

If you can be of an assistance to me I will be pleased to offer to you 15%
Of the total fund while the balance will be invested by you. Furthermore,
before the death of my father he warned me about the increase rate of
Internet Scam which have been my fear not to contact you all this while, so
that is why I are fearing for the security of the funds. Also he handed over
to me the copies of the Bank Deposit Slip and Agreement issued to him by the
Bank.Finally.

NOTE: That this transaction is 100% risk free and absolutely confidential
and remember that the change of beneficiary must be changed in your name
before the transfer will be done.

I await your soonest response.

Respectfully yours,
Miss.Natalie Jones.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam