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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.

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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:
  • "clearance certificate" (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 ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • ",000,000" (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)
  • "00,000.00" (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)
  • "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • +2348075008793 (Nigeria, 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.
  • fedexprocessing@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: fedexprocessing@hotmail.com (FEDEX COURIER SERVICE)
Reply-To: fedexprocessing@hotmail.com
Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:53:03 +0700
Subject: PRIVATE MESSAGE

--
Greetings
am MRS JOYCE ALEX,a staff of the FEDEX COURIER SERVICE here in
west Africa.We have been waiting for you since to contact us for your
Confirmable Bank Draft of 1,000,000.00GBP(ONE MILLION GREAT
BRITISH POUNDS) that was deposited
with our company,by the ECOWAS DONATION BOARD but we did not
hear from you since that time.I will be traveling out from the country
for two Months Course and I will not come back till end of may.
What you have to do now is to contact the FEDEX COURIER
as soon as possible to know when they will deliver your package to you
because of the expiring date.
For your information, the delivering Charge,Insurance premium and Clearance
Certificate Fee of the Cheque has already been paid for.
The only money you will send to the FEDEX COURIER SERVICE to deliver
your Draft direct to your postal Address is ($200.00 US) Dollars
only being Security Keeping Fee of the Company so far.Again, don\'t
bedeceived by anybody
to pay any other money except $200.00 US Dollars. You have to contact
the FEDEX COURIER SERVICE now with the following informations:
First name: Last Name: Telephone:
Nationality:: Age: Occupation: Address:
for the delivery of your Draft Pleace Contact Mr.BARRY WITHE
with this email bolow Email: fedexprocessing@hotmail.com
TEL:+234-80-75-00-87-93
Finally, make sure that you reconfirm your Postal address and Direct
telephone number to them again to avoid any mistake on the
Delivery and ask them to give you the tracking number to enable you track
your package over there and know when it will get to your address.Let me
repeat again,try to contact them as soon as you receive this mail to
avoid any further delay of extra demurrage and remember to pay them
their Security Keeping fee of $200.00 US Dollars for their immediate
action.Yours
Faithfully,MRS JOYCE ALEX.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam