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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• 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:
  • "hundred thousand 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)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Michael G. Philipp" <michphil100@sapo.pt>
Reply-To: mphilipp01@gmail.com
Date: Sun, 8 Mar 2009 18:36:12 +0000
Subject: Give a reply

Hello,

My name is Mr. Michael G. Philipp and I work with a Bank here in London-England, The name of the bank is Credit Agricole Indosuez. We had a Mr. Allan P. Smith, customer that had a deposit of US$43.5M (Forty Three Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) before he Died in a plane crash with his wife and only Child about 9 years now (July 31, 2000) and since he died, we in the Bank here have been expecting his/her next of kin/relative(s) for the inheritance of the deposit, but none has surfaced.

Further enquiries visit the web site below: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/859479.stm

The policy of the Bank however stipulates a limited time period for such inheritance to be made or the fund will be written off going by the record of the incident, the time limit for the claim is closing up. In this consideration, I am contacting you to seek for your kind understanding and sincere co-operation to claim this inheritance for our mutual benefit.

If you can stand as the next of kin in this project, success is assured because I am in possession of the personal file jacket of the deceased which contains every needed information about the account and the deceased and you and I stand no risk of any kind because I have enough information to support you in claiming the inheritance. The proceedings of the transaction will be shared 50% each after Expenses are reimbursed.

Kindly indicate your willingness by return email and we shall proceed with the initial step for the claim. The entire project is expected to last for about ten working days.

Best Regards,
Mr. Michael G. Philipp

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam