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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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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)
  • "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.

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: <mr.michael_bennett@windowslive.com>
Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2008 10:40:34 +0000
Subject: FROM: Mr. Bennett




Dear Friend
How are you today? i hope fine,
I am Mr. Michael Bennett From Harlsden, North West London, here in England.
I work for NatWest Bank Corporation London. I am writing you from my
office . In my department, being the assistant manager (Greater London
Regional Office), I discovered an abandoned sum of $12.5 million USA
Dollars (Twelve million five hundred thousand Usa Dollars) in an
account that belongs to one of our foreign customers Late Mr. Thompson
Morrison American citizen who unfortunately lost his life in the plane
crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261 which crashed on January 31 2000,
including his wife and only daughter.
Click to view details of the crash
http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska.airlines.list/.
The choice of contacting you is aroused from the geographical nature of
where you live, particularly due to the sensivity of the
transaction and the confidentiality herein. Now our bank has been
waiting for any of the relatives to come-up for the claim but nobody
has done that. I personally has been unsuccessful in locating the
relatives for 2 years now, I seek your consent to present you as the
next of kin /Will Beneficiary to the deceased so that the proceeds of
this account valued at 12.5 Million Dollars can be paid to you.
This will be disbursed or shared in these percentages,60% to me and 40%
to you. I have secured all necessary legal documents that can be used
to back up this claim we are making. All i need is to fill in your
names to the documents' and legalize it in the court here to prove you
as the legitimate beneficiary. All I need now is your honest Co-
operation, Confidentiality and Trust to enable us see this transaction
through. I guarantee you that this will be executed under a legitimate
arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.
Please, provide me the following: as we have 5 days to run it through.
this is 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
hoping that you will find this proposal interesting. Please on your
confirmation of this message and indicating your interest will furnish
you with more information. Endeavour to let me know your decision rather
than keep me waiting.
Regards,
Mr. Michael Bennett

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam