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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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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. )
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "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 "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.
  • +22993861923 (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.
  • federalexpresscourier@ubbi.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Sat, 18 Oct 2008 14:50:25 +0100
Subject: CONTACT DR ROBERT SCOTT


*DEAR FRIEND,*


*I have been waiting for you since to contact me for your Confirmable Bank
Draft of $850,000 United States Dollars, but I did not hear from you since
that time. Then I went to the bank to confirm if the draft has expired and
Mr. Justin Yayi the Director Bank of Africa told me that before the draft
will get to your hand that it will expire. So I told him to cash the
$850,000 USD UNITED STATES DOLLARS to cash payment to avoid losing this
funds under expirationas, But i will be out of the country for a 3 Months
Course and I will not come back till end of JANUARY 2009.*


*What you have to do now is for you to contact FEDERAL EXPRESS COURIER
COMPANY as soon as you receive this mail to know when they will deliver your
package to you because of the expiring date.For your information, I have
paid for the delivering Charge, Insurance premium and Clearance Certificate
Fee of the Cheque showing that it is not a Drug Money or meant to sponsor
Terrorist attack in your Country.*


*The only money you will send to the Courier Company to deliver your
Consignment direct toyour postal Address in your country is ($155.00 US) One
Hundred & fifty five United States Dollars only being Security Keeping Fee
of the Courier Company so far.Again, don't be deceived by anybody to pay any
other money except $155.00 US Dollars. I would have paid that but they said
no because they don't know when you will contact them and in case of
demurrage. And you are to send your contcat informations to him , full name
,deliver address ,phone
number,occupation.*


*YOU ARE TO CONTACT THE FEDERAL EXPRESS COURIER COMPANY with information
bellow;
Contact Person: DR ROBERT SCOTT.
Email Address: (**federalexpresscourier@ubbi.com*<federalexpresscourier@ubbi.com>
*)
Phone 00229-93-861-923*


*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 and
remember to pay them their Security Keeping fee of $155.00 US Dollars for
their immediate action. Note this. FEDEX COURIER COMPANY don't know the
contents of the Box. I registered it as a BOX of Africa cloths. They did not
know the contents was MONEY. this is to avoid them delaying with the BOX.
Don't letthem know that the box contents money.*

*BELOW IS YOUR PACKAGE REGISTER INFORMATIM
SHIPMENT CODE AWB 33XZS
PACKAGE REGISTERED CODE NO XGT442.
SECURITY CODE SCTC/2001DHX/567/
TRANSACTION CODE 233/CSTC/101/33028/
CERTIFICATE DEPOSIT CODE SCTC/BUN/xxiv/-78/01*


*Yours Faithfully,
DR CHARLES LAMMA.*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam