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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
  (+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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "million united states 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)
  • ",000,000" (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)
  • "00,000.00" (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)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "abuja" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "Elvis Abubakar" <engrelvisabubakar2000@gmail.com>
Reply-To: elvis.abubakar@centrum.cz
Date: Mon, 8 Dec 2008 14:14:37 -0700
Subject: FIVE MAN PRESIDENTIAL TASK FORCE COMMITEE!!!


Aso-Rock Presidential Villa
Five Man Presidential Task Force Committee
Aso-Rock Presidential Villa,
Abuja-Nigeria.

Good day,

I am Engr.Elvis Abubakar, a member of a Five Man Presidential Task Force
Committee, appointed by President Umaru Musa Yar'dua of the federal republic
of Nigeria, to audit all contracts awarded by former president Olusegun
Obasanjo's administration. In the course of our investigations, we
discovered several malpractices involving over invoicing of contracts to the
tune of US$675,000,000.00 ( Six Hundred and Seventy Five Million United
States Dollars ). At this juncture, we unanimously agreed to return
US$475,000,000.00 back to the Federal Government of Nigeria, while the
balance of US$200, 000,000.00 be transfered to a foreign account, to be
disbursed by the Five Man Presidential Task Force Committee, and this is
where you come in.

By law, we are forbidden as civil servants to hold or maintain foreign
account while we are still in government service, based on this, we will
portray you as a foreign contractor, who dully executed his contract for the
Nigerian government, but has not been paid,so that the said balance of
US$200,000,000.00 will be processed and transferred into your account.

As soon as the funds is transferred, we will disburse the funds as follows:
20% for your assisting by providing your account for this purpose, 5% shall
be mapped out to offset all incidential expenses during the process of
transferring this funds into your account, while 75% shall be for us, the
originators of this deal.

For your information,this deal is 100% risk free on both sides, as we have
all the necessary documentations,and all it entails to legally present you
and your company as the legitimate and original contractor that executed
this contract for the Nigerian government.

My dear, should you be interested to do this business with us, do furnish me
with the following informations below immediately,so that we can swing into
action, as this deal is expected to last for 14 working days or more, as
soon as we hear from you.

1. Your full names, and address.
2. Your direct telephone and fax numbers for easy and faster communication.
3. Your company's name and address if any.

Note that the calibers of people involved in this transaction are all top
and influential government functionaries, who wouldn't want any form of
exposure, as such, high level of confidentiality should be accorded to this
deal, till the end of time.

Thanking you with an eager anticipation for a healthy and fruitful buisness
relationship, while I look forward to receive your swift reply.

Yours faithfully,

Engr.Elvis Abubakar.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam