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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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• 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 sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "sani abacha" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +2348082665969 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: =?utf-8?q?Jim=20Harrison?= <harrisonjim77@yahoo.com.co>
Reply-To: jimharr43@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 19 Jan 2009 13:15:18 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Dear Sir/Madam,


¡Tengo nueva dirección de correo!Ahora puedes escribirme a:harrisonjim77@yahoo.com.co



- Dear Sir/Madam, my name is Mr. jim.harrison, I work in the credit and accounts department of African banking in co-operation,Lagos,Nigeria. I write you in respect of a foreign customer with domiciliary a/c number 2590074169. his name is Mr. Erick board. he was among those who died in a plane crash here in Nigeria during the reign of late general sani abacha.sir,since the demise of this our customer, Mr. Erick board ,who was an oil merchant/contractor, i have kept a close watch of the deposit records and accounts and since then nobody has come to claim the money in this a/c as next of kin to the late Mr. Erick board. he had only $28.5mllion in his a/c and the a/c is coded.it is only an insider that could produce the code or password of the deposit particulars. As it stands now, there is nobody in that position to produce the needed information other than my very self considering my position in the bank. based on the reason that nobody has come forward to claim the deposit as next of kin, I hereby ask for your co-operation in using your name as the next of kin to the deceased to send these funds out to a foreign offshore bank a/c for mutual sharing between myself and you. At this point i am the only one with the information because I have removed the deposit file from the safe. by this doing, what is required of you is to send an application laying claims of the deposit as next of kin to the late Mr. Erick board. you can as well send your info.......1)your name.................2)age..........................3)home address................4)occupation.................5)your cell phone number..... Finally I want you to understand that the request for a foreigner as the next of kin is occasioned by the fact that the customer was a foreigner and for that reason alone a local cannot represent as next of kin. When you contact me, then we shall discuss on how the money will be split betweens. Trusting to hear from you, I remain. You can call me on this number: 234-80-82665969respectfully yours,Mr.jim.harrison

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam