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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
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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.

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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 friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "a security company " (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. )
• This email message is a "dying widow" 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.
  • madamqueensleydevids@gmail.com

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: madamqueensleydevids@gmail.com
Date: Thu, 06 Nov 2008 21:17:32 GMT
Subject: LAST WILL (Await your swift response)




Dear Friend,
Here i writes from Madam Queensley Devid,I was married to Engineer Devid Colman an Englishman who is dead.When my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of 5 Million GBP a security company here in UK. My Doctor told me that I have few days to live.Due to the cancerous problems.And now i have decided to donate the funds to you as a gift from my husbands effort to the upkeep of the widows,widowers,orphans,destitute.God
bless you.contact me via email:(madamqueensleydevids@gmail.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam