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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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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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 friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "will come to you as a surprise" (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)
  • "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• 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.
  • aziz_ouedraogo18@yahoo.co.th (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: aziz_ouedraogo18@yahoo.co.th
Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 11:08:58 +0100
Subject: FROM THE DESK OF MR AZIZ OUEDRAOGO.


FROM THE DESK OF MR AZIZ OUEDRAOGO.
AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING MANAGER,
BANK OF AFRICA (B.O.A)
OUAGADOUGOU-BURKINA FASO.

DEAR FRIEND,
CONFIDENTIAL TRUST BUSINESS DEAL
I KNEW THIS MESSAGE WILL COME TO YOU AS A SURPRISE. I AM THE AUDITING
MANAGER
IN BANK OF AFRICA (BOA), OUAGADOUGOU BURKINA FASO. I HOPED THAT YOU WILL NOT
EXPOSE OR BETRAY THIS TRUST AND CONFIDENT THAT I AM ABOUT TO IMPOSE ON YOU
FOR
THE MUTUAL BENEFIT OF OUR FAMILIES.
I NEED YOUR URGENT ASSISTANCE IN TRANSFERRING THE SUM OF (USD$5.5) MILLION
DOLLARS TO YOUR ACCOUNT WITHIN 10 BANKING DAYS. THIS MONEY HAS BEEN DORMANT
FOR
YEARS IN OUR BANK WITHOUT ANY BODY CLAIMING THE FUND.
I WANT THE BANK TO RELEASE THE MONEY TO YOU AS THE NEAREST PERSON TO OUR
DECEASED CUSTOMER (THE OWNER OF THE ACCOUNT) BELONGS TO ONE OF OUR FOREIGN
CUSTOMER (MR. JOHN BELLY FROM FLORIDA, U.S.A) WHO DIED ALONG WITH HIS ENTIRE
FAMILY ON JULY 2000 IN A PLANE CRASH.FOR MORE INFORMATION'S ABOUT THE
CRASH YOU CAN VISIT THIS
SITE:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm
I DON'T WANT THE MONEY TO GO INTO OUR BANK TREASURER ACCOUNT AS AN
ABANDONED FUND. SO THIS IS THE REASON WHY I CONTACTED YOU SO THAT THE BANK
CAN
RELEASE THE MONEY TO YOU AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO THE DECEASED CUSTOMER. PLEASE
I
WOULD LIKE YOU TO KEEP THIS PROPOSAL AS A TOP SECRET AND DELETE IT IF YOU
ARE
NOT INTERESTED.
UPON RECEIPT OF YOUR REPLY, I WILL GIVE YOU FULL DETAILS ON HOW THE BUSINESS
WILL BE EXECUTED AND ALSO NOTE THAT YOU WILL HAVE 30% OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED
SUM
IF YOU AGREE TO HANDLE THIS BUSINESS WITH ME.
AND 10% WILL BE SET ASIDE FOR ANY EXPENSES THAT ARISES ON THE PROCESS BEFORE
THE FUND GET INTO YOUR BANK ACCOUNT SUCH AS TELEPHONE CALLS BILLS (ETC).
I LOOKING FORWARD RECEIVING YOUR RETURN MAIL THROUGH THIS EMAIL ADDRESS
THANKS
AND HAVE A GREAT DAY. (aziz_ouedraogo18@yahoo.co.th ) ONLY REPLY ON THIS
MAIL
AND CALL NUMBER 0022678784770)
1. NAME IN FULL:................................
2. ADDRESS:.......................................
3. NATIONALITY:...................................
4. AGE:.............................................
5. Sex..............................................
6. OCCUPATION:......................................
7. MARITAL STATUS:..................................
8. PHONE............................................
9. FAX:.............................................
10. YOUR PHOTO PICTURE...........................
N.B PLEASE I BEG YOU WITH THE NAME OF GOOD ALLAH IF YOU CANNOT FINISH THIS
BUSINESS DO NOT CARE TO REPLY I DON'T WANT THIS MONEY TO HANG ON THE WAY.
BEST REGARD
MR AZIZ OUEDRAOGO

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam