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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 sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "million pounds" (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)
  • ",000,000" (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)
  • "00,000.00" (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)
• 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.
  • +44

Fraud email example:

From: Mr.Godwin Frank <godwin2008frank1@msn.com>
Reply-To: <mrgodwinfrank20082@msn.com>
Date: Fri, 10 Oct 2008 01:36:10 +0000
Subject: From:Mr.Godwin Frank



From:Mr.Godwin FrankOffice: +44=70359 39349Mobile: +44=70359 39086Dear Sir/Madam With warm heart I offer my friendship, and greetings,and I hopeful that this mail will meet you in good time. However strange or surprising this contact might seem to you as we have not met personally or had any dealings in the past, I humbly ask that you take due consideration of it's importance and the immense benefit it will be to us (YOU AND I ). If this e-mail letter of proposal fails to meet your personal or desired business ethics kindly accept my sincere apology, nevertheless, I strongly believe that it will. Firstly, my name is Mr.Godwin Frank an auditor with one of the leading banks here in the United Kingdom. My proposal is that, during our last auditing I discovered that one of our accounts, with a balance of £20,000,000.00 (Twenty- Million Pounds Sterling) has been dormant and was last operated 6 years ago. From my investigation and confirmation, the owner of the said account, a foreigner by name John Shumejda who died on the 4th of January 2002 in a plane crash within the European Air space. For more details visit: http://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/01/04/england.plane/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/1742404.stm Since then, nobody has done anything as regards the claiming of this Fund, as he has no family member that has any knowledge as to the existence of either the account or the funds: and information from the national immigration also states that he was single on entry into the UK. I therefore propose to do business with you in receiving this fund in any of your preferable account, an empty account can serve provided it is valid. Because, this fund can be approve for payment for a foreigners only due to the deceased owner is also a foreigner. Be inform that this transaction is 100% total risk free: and troubles as the fund is legitimate and does not originate from drug, money laundry, terrorism or any other illegal act. Upon the successful transfer of the fund to your account, you will be given 40% of the total amount 50% will be for me while the remaining 10% will donated to the Charity Organizations.On your interest, let me hear from you so we can proceed with the process, Also include you private phone number so I can call you.Warm Regards,Mr.Godwin Frank

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam