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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:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:
  • "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 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr Patrick Clark" <clpt1960@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: cpatrick@o2.pl
Date: Sun, 12 Jul 2009 05:52:57 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: RE: we appreciate your sincere response

Compliments of the season.
I am Mr. Patrick Clark, bills and exchange manager of a bank in
Switzerland. It is with excellent recommendation from a banking colleague
of mine that I contact you with this business proposal. Due to the exact
nature of this business proposal, I advice that there should be utmost
confidentiality in all matters I shall discuss with you because it is only
on this premise of reliability and implicit trust in our capabilities that
the exact dividends of this proposal will be achieved.
Privileged information and official instruments at our disposal will
enable this proposal in the right perspective for a 100% successful
execution rate, it is therefore paramount for us to be assured of your
discretion in handling details of this proposal which I will discuss with
you once I receive an acknowledgement of this email from you with the
assurance that even though, the possibility exist of you declining to this
proposal, my identity can still be protected with your assured discretion.
I await your response.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Mr. Patrick Clark.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam