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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
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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
• This email message is a "New Partner from Paraguay" 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.
  • +22993203422 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
• This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
  • elitecouriers8@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "peter_william4 Gazeta.pl" <peter_william4@gazeta.pl>
Date: Fri, 6 Jun 2008 00:08:24 +0200
Subject: CONTACT ELITE COURIER COMPANY URGENT FOR YOUR PACKAGE


Dear Friend,

Good day, I have been waiting for you since to come down here and pick your
Bank Draft but did not hear from you since that time. I went to the bank to
confirm whether the draft is getting close to expire and the director of the
bank told me that before the draft will get to your address that it will
expire. Then I told him to help me and cash the cashier bank draft of
$2.5.million. USD to cash payment.

However, I have successfully cashed the draft and packaged it in a box and
have registered it in the ELITE COURIER Company here in Benin Republic
because I will travel to see my boss and will not come back till next month
end.

You have to contact the ELITE COURIER Company to know when they will deliver
your package to your address. I have paid for the delivering charges and
insurance fees. The only money you have to send to them is their security
keeping fees which is $320 Us Dollars to receive your package. Don't be
deceived by any body.

Here is ELITE COURIER Company Address for you to contact them urgent.
DR DAVID MORRIS
Telephone (+229-93 20 34 22)
E-mail ( elitecouriers8@gmail.com )

Please, Send them your contacts information to able them locate you
immediately they arrived in your country with your BOX.

This is the information they need from you.

1. YOUR FULL NAME.
2. YOUR HOME ADDRESS.
3. YOUR CURRENT MOBILE NUMBER.
4. YOUR CURRENT OFFICE TELEPHONE.
5. A COPY OF YOUR PASSPORT.

Try to contact ELITE COURIER Company as soon as possible to avoid increasing
the security keeping fees. I gave them your delivering address but you have
to reconfirm it to them again to avoid any mistake in the delivery.

Note; I didn't tell the ELITE COURIER Company that it's money inside the
box; I registered it as a package of an African cloths. This is to avoid
delaying or any upfront problem during the delivery, So do not let them to
know that the package contents money inside until you have received it in
your house address ok.

Do let me know as soon as you received your package. You will get in touch
with me through e-mail as my phone is no longer available now that I am out
from our country. Contact me by email ok.
Best Regards
Mr Williams Peters

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam