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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "a security company " (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
  • "million 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 "dying widow" scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr James Kattoun" <kattoun208@cantv.net>
Date: Sat, 4 Jul 2009 07:11:22 -0430
Subject: Dear beloved friend,

Dear beloved friend,
 
I know that this letter may be a very big surprise to you, I am giving you my trust and wish you will give me back the trust i have given you . I believe that you will be honest to fulfill my final wish before I will die.
I am Mr. James Kattoun , I am 58 years old, I am  suffering from a long time cancer of the brain .From all indication my condition is really deteriorating, and my doctors have courageously advised me that I may not live beyond the next two  months, this is because the cancer stage has reached a critical stage. I was brought up  in a motherless babys home, and was married to my late wife for twenty  years without a child . My wife and I are true Christians, but quite  unfortunately, she was killed during the (ABIDJAN- BOUAKE) Crisis some years back.
 
Since her death I decided not to re-marry, I sold all my   belongings and deposited all the sum of $10.2million dollars with a security company In Ivory Coast where i lived with my late wife all our lives, as it was pakaged and registered as a personal Valuable.
Presently, this money is still in their custody, and the management  just wrote me as the Legitimate beneficiary to come forward to receive the Deposit after keeping it for so long or rather issue a letter of authorization to  somebody to receive it on my behalf since I can not come over as a result of my   illness, Presently,I'm with my laptop in a hospital  where I have been undergoing treatment. I have since lost my ability to walk about or do anything by myself and my doctors have told me that I have only a few months to live.
It is my last wish to see that this money is invested in any  business  of your choice and  the gain made every year or 6 months as the case may be,  distributed each year among the charity organization, the poor and the motherless babys home where I come from. I want your good   humanitarian, to also use this money to fund churches, orphanages and widows around, 20% for you , I must let you know that this was a very hard decision, but I had to take a bold step towards this issue because I have no further option. I hope you will help see my last wishes come true.
 
As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the security company. I will also issue you a letter of authority, which will prove that you  are the new beneficiary of my funds. Please assure me that you will act accordingly as
I stated herein. I will be happy if you can come down to Ivory Coast if possible
 
Hope to hear from you soonest at: mrkattu@live.com     
Awaiting your reply

Yours Sincerely
Mr James Kattoun

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam