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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:
  • "necessary legal documents" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. Never ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "greater london" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million 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)
• 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.
  • +447045757003 (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.
  • drjohnson_mich05@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Dr Johnson Micheal <drjohnson_mich22@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:25:43 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: FROM DR JOHNSON






From:Dr.Johnson Michael
Tel:+447045757003
I am Dr.Johnson Michael From Harlsden, North West London , here in
=A0England. I
work for=A0 Natwest Bank Corporation London. I am writing you from my
=A0office tha
t will be of an imense benefit to both of us. In my department,being
=A0the assis
tant manager (Greater London Regional Office), I discovered an
=A0abandoned sum o
f $12.5 million USA Dollars (Twelve million five hundred thousand Usa
=A0Dollars)
=A0in an account that belongs to one of our foreign customers Late
=A0Mr.Thompson M
orrison=A0 American citizen who unfortunately lost his life in the plane
=A0crash o
f Alaska Airlines Flight 261 which crashed on January 31 2000,
=A0including his w
ife and only daughter.
=A0 The choice of contacting you is aroused from the geograpgical nature
=A0of wher
e you live, particularly due to the sensivity of the transaction.and
=A0the confi
dentiality herein. Now our bank has been waiting for any of the
=A0relatives to c
ome-up for the claim but nobody has done that.I personally has been
=A0unsuccessf
ul in locating the relatives for 2 years now, I seek your consent to
=A0present y
ou as the next of kin /Will Beneficiary to the deceased so that the
=A0proceeds o
f this account valued at 12.5 Million Dollars can be paid to you.
=A0 This will be disbursed or shared in these percentages,60% to me and
=A040% to y
ou. I have secured all necessary legal documents that can be used to
=A0back up t
his claim we are making. All i need is to fill in your names to the
=A0ducuments
and legalise it in the court here to prove you as the legitimate
=A0beneficiary.
All I require now is your honest Co-operation,Confidentiality and Trust
=A0to ena
ble us see this transaction through. I guarantee you that this will be
=A0execute
d under a legitimate arrangement that
will protect you from any breach of the law.
=A0 Please,provide me the following: as we have 5 days to run it through.
=A0this i
s very very URGENT PLEASE.
1. Full Name
2. Your Telephone Number
3. Your Contact Address.
Having gone through a methodical search, I decided to contact you
=A0hoping that
you will find this proposal interesting. Please on your confirmation of
=A0this m
essage and indicating your interest will furnish you with more
=A0information. En
deavor to let me know your decision rather than keep me waiting.
Reply on this email:drjohnson_mich05@hotmail.com
=A0Regards,
Dr.Johnson Michael
Tel:+447045757003 =0A=0A=0A

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam