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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:

• 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)
  • "because it still remains the fastest medium of communication" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "utmost confidentiality" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "here in united kingdom" (this email uses bad English)
  • "i feel quite safe dealing with you in this important business" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
• 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.
  • richardstony94@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: richardstony94@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Thu, 27 Nov 2008 16:05:41 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Good day..;


¡Tengo nueva dirección de correo!Ahora puedes escribirme a:richardtony94@yahoo.com.co



- Dear Friend,I feel quite safe dealing with you in this important business having gone through your remarkable profile on the internet. Though, this medium (Internet)has been greatly abused, I choose to reach you through it because it still remains the fastest medium of communication. However, this correspondence is unofficial and private, and it should be treated as such. At first I will like to assure you that this transaction is 100% risk and trouble free to both parties.My name is Mr. Richards Anthony; I work as the operational manager in account management section incharge of credit and foreign bills of Standard AllianceLondon bank here in United Kingdom. On a routine inspection I discovered a dormant domiciliary account with a Balance Of [ US$9,700,000. 00 ] (NINE MILLIONSEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND U.S DOLLAR).On further discreet investigation, I also discovered that the account holder has died long ago with his family on a fatal Auto-accident leaving no beneficiary to the account and no other person knows about this account.I am in close contact with the manager of the bank here who is my partner and he is willing to approve the transfer to any reliable and trustworthy foreigner with foreign bank account because the former operator of the a/c is a foreigner and from Australia in particular. I am certainly sure that he has no written or oral WILL attached to the account, no beneficiary and nobody will come again for the claim of this money. It is only a foreigner who can claim this money with legal claims to the account holder which I will provide to you if you are interested, therefore I need your cooperation in this transaction.The difference in country of origins is not a hindrance to the success of this transaction. This money will remain useless in this dormant account if I did not transfer the fund out to a foreign account.I will provide the necessary information and documents needed in order to claim this money. I only need your cooperation as a foreigner to provide your safebank account information for the transfer. All arrangement that will ensure a smooth transfer of the fund to the account which you are to nominate is already in place. You should also provide me with your direct phone lines for easy communication. I wish for utmost confidentiality in handling this transaction.At the conclusion of this transaction, your share will be 25% of the total transfer sum, 70% for me and my partner while 5% will be set aside for any expenses both parties might incur during the process of the transfer. The fund will be transferred to your account in two parts. I will fly over to meet youafter the successful transfer for sharing according to the agreed percentages.I will have the remaining balance transferred to your account only after the successful sharing of the first transfer without any disappointment from your side.Let me hear from you URGENTLY.Your personal Information is needed for onward processing of the fund.Best Regards, Mr. Richards Anthony.Private Email:richardstony94@yahoo.co.uk

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam