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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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:
  • "from the desk of" (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)
  • "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "David Ephraim" <davidephraim@hosanna.net>
Reply-To: davidephraim@gmx.com
Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2008 04:35:36 +0200
Subject: Hello


>From The Desk Of David Ephraim.
Bill and Exchange Manager
CAJA DE FORTUNA BANK (FOREIGN PAYMENT AND PROCESSING CENTRE)
Calle Vizcaya 2 Atocha,28045 Madrid Spain


ATTN.

With due respect and humility, I write to you this proposal.I am the Manager
of bill and exchange at the foreign remittance department of Caja De
Fortuna Banco in Madrid. I am writing following the impressive information
about you, l got your contact in my quest for a reliable and capable person
to assist me in this deal.

Though I know that a business of this magnitude will make any one
apprehensive, but I am assuring you that all will be well at the end of the
day. We have decided to contact you by email due to the urgency of this
"deal", as we have been reliably informed of your honesty and ability in a
transaction of this nature.

In my department we discovered an abandoned sum of US$30m dollars (THIRTY
Million US dollars) in an account that belongs to one of our foreign
customer (MR. ANDREAS SCHRANNER from Munich, Germany) who died along with
his entire family in July 2000 in a plane crash.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm


About his death, we have been expecting his next of kin to come forward and
claim his money because we cannot release it unless somebody applies for it
as next of kin or relation to the deceased as indicated in our banking
guidelines and policies but unfortunately we learned that all his supposed
next of kin or relation died alongside with him at the ugly plane crash
leaving nobody behind for the claims. It is therefore upon this discovery
that I have decided to make this business proposal to you to transact this
DEAL with you and to act as the next of kin or relation to the deceased for
safety and subsequent disbursement since nobody is coming forth and l don't
want this money to go into the Bank treasury as unclaimed Bill.

According to our Banking policies and guideline here which stipulates that
if such money remained unclaimed after five years,the money will
automatically be transferred into the Bank treasury as unclaimed fund. My
request for a foreigner to ac t as next of kin in this business is by the
fact that the customer was a foreigner and a citizen of this country cannot
stand or put claims as next of kin to a foreigner. l agreed to offer 30% of
the total fund to you, for your assistance, to act as the next of Kin to the
foreigner,to provide account, 10% will be for reimbursement of any expenses
incured during the curse of the transaction.

There after, I and my family will visit your country for disbursement and
for investment in your country. Therefore to enable the immediate transfer
of this fund to you as arranged, you must apply first to the bank as
relation or next of kin of the deceased indicating your bank name, your bank
account number, your private telephone and fax number for easier and
effective communication and location where the money will be transfer. Upon
receipt of your reply, I will send to you by fax or email the text of the
application. I will not fail to bring to your notice that this transaction
is hitch free and that you should not entertain any atom of fear as all
required arrangements have been made for the transfer.

Let truth and honesty be our watchword in this transaction while I look
forward to receiving your immediate response.

Yours faithfully,
David Ephraim

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam