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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
  (+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:
  • "dear beloved," (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)
• This email message is a "dying widow" scam.

Fraud email example:

From: Mrs Mary Kingslett <marykingslett2@msn.com>
Reply-To: <marykingslett2@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2009 18:22:38 +0000
Subject: Can I trust you?



Dear Beloved,
peace be unto you as you read this mail i am a dying woman who has decided to donate what I have to charity through you. You may be wondering why I chose you.But someone has to be chosen. I am 59 years old and was diagnosed for cancer about 2 years ago, after the death of my husband who had left me everything he worked for I have been touched by the Lord to donate from what I have inherited from my late husband to charity through you for the good work of humanity, rather than allow my relatives to use my husband's hard earned funds inappropriately.I have asked the Lord to forgive me all my sins and I believe he has,because He is merciful. I will be going in for an operation, and I pray that I survive the operation. I have decided to WILL/Donate the sum of $13.5 Million (Thirteen Million five Hundred thousand Dollars) to charity through you for the good work of the Lord, and to help the motherless, less privileged and also for the assistance of the widows. At the moment I cannot take any telephone calls,due to the fact that my relatives are around me and I have been restricted by my doctor from taking telephone calls because I deserve all the rest I can get.Presently,I have informed my consultant about my decision in WILLING this fund to charity through you. I wish you all the best and may the good Lord bless you abundantly, and please use the funds well and always extend the good work to others. If you are interested in carrying out this task, I will inform my consultant/Family Lawyer, so that he can arrange the release of the funds to you. I know i have never met you but my mind tells me to do this, and I hope you act sincerely. I decided that 30% of this money should be taken by you from the total sum upon the success release of this fund, because I am now too weak and fragile to do things myself because of my cancer. but I assure you that this will never in any way associated with that as you will be given the right to verify this directly with the finance company where the fund was deposited. I will appreciate your utmost confidentiality in this matter until the task is accomplished, as I don't want anything that will jeopardize my last wish, due to the fact that I do not want relatives or family members standing in the way of my last wish,I will be very glad to hear from you. Your sincerely,Mrs. Mary Kingslett

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam