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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• 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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • +447045759453 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • funds_initiative@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Newsletter <newsletter@sinext.it>
Reply-To: funds_initiative@hotmail.com
Date: Sun, 07 Sep 2008 14:02:02 +0200
Subject: Your Funds


FUND INVESTIGATION UNIT.
306 RAMFORD ROAD,
OPPOSITE FOREST GATE POLICE STATION,
LONDON E7 8AA.
UNITED KINGDOM
TEL: +447045759453

Dear Sir/Madam,

Fund Investigation Unit is an international independent fund management outfit recognized by the World bank and International Monetary Fund(IMF) to resolve major financial obligations of nations who have subscribed to it's Multilateral Agreement Bond(MAB) and to suggest how best dormant funds could be utilized in each particular year.

In the course of our duty,we have found large sums of unclaimed dividends amounting to several millions of dollars in various countries of the world.

Our effort to locate the investors of these unclaimed equity and dividends have proved unsuccessfully,largely due to the fact that most of the investors had died not knowing the worth of their investments and not mentioning them to their folks.

We therefore suggested and received the approval of the World bank to invest these funds in categorized countries for charity.

To achieve this,we sought the assistance of internet marketing firms who advertised and obtained for us email subscriptions of individuals who would like to benefit from this charity disbursement for the purpose of setting up charitable organizations.

These email addresses were used for our recent draw which is our 4th draw since the year of our Lord,2002.

You are being contacted because your email address drew one of the winning umbers marked FIU11400307 for the allotment of 12.5M Pounds.

For us to pay you this money,we must be able to certify the following;

1.That you are honest,responsible and dedicated.

2.That you do not have any history of crime.

3.You must be able to spare 2-3 hours daily for charity.

Note that we do not monitor the operations of successful allotees in the discharge of their charity works as we have so many of these organizations in various countries of this world.You must therefore see this as a solemn call to serve humanity and in particular the less privileged citizens of your country.

Your allotment of 12.5M Pounds is payable to you either through cashier's cheque or through International swift transfer.

For further inquiries,get back to us through this email.(funds_initiative@hotmail.com).

Yours faithfully,
Mr. Alan White.

NB: Your email was forwarded to us by www.monster.co.uk on our request

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam