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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "atm payment department" (this phrase is often used in the ATM card payment scam)
  • "activation fee" (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. )
  • "huge amount of money" (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)
  • "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• 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.
  • +22993063443 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Thu, 6 Nov 2008 15:42:13 +0100
Subject: FORWARD THE ABOVE INFORMATIONS TO THE DIRECTOR OK?


Dear Friend,
This is to inform you about my success in transfering your money into an ATM
master card to curtail the risk of carrying huge amount of money arround.We
are the peole that coded this amount of moneyin the card and we are going to
tell you how to make use of it.Presentlyi'm out of the coutry for investing
my own part of the total money .Meanwhile,i didn't forget your past efforts
and attempts to assist me in moving the cash despite that both of us could
not make it.

Now contactATM PAYMENT DEPARTMENT and their email addressis(
atmcarddepartmentbj01@live.fr ) ask them to send you the sum of eight
hundred and fifty thousand us dollars ( $850.000.00) in an ATMMASTER CARD
which i kept for your compensation for all the past effortsand attempts to
assist me in this matter.this card centre will send youan ATM card which you
will use to withdraw your money in any ATM machinein any par t of the wor
ld, the maximum is Five Thousand United StateDollars per day.

I appreciated your efforts at that time very much,Sofeel free and get in
touched with the ATM PAYMENT DEPARTMENT andinstruct them on where to send
your total share of the money to you.Therefore do not hesitate to contact
Oceanic Bank Benin ATM paymentdepartment centre and also re-confirm the
following information aslisted below:

1. Full Name

2. Address were you want them to send theATM card

3. Phone number (private)

4. Your age and currentoccupation

5. Country Name and Code Forward the above inforamation to:

Dr.Frank Christopher,Director, ATM payment department Oceanic Bank

Benin Republic. Direct line:+229-93-06-34-43,

Emails:(atmcarddepartmentbj01@live.fr )

Please do let me knowimmediately you receive it so that we can share the joy
together afterall the sufferness at that time. In the moment,i am very busy
hereinvesting with my new partner.Remember that you are going to pay
areactivation fee,it is for the reactivation of your card against it'sexpiry
before the delivery is made.The reason for the reactivation feeis that the
account has been there for a long time while the governmentwas doing serious
investigations on the right owner of the money beforethis conclusion was
made.

Finally, I have forwarded instructions tothe DEPARTMENT to send the
Confirmable ATM MASTER CARD to you, so feelfree to get in touch with the
DEPARTMENTand they will send the CARD toyou without any delay. DO FAST AND
CONTACT THEM IMMEDIATELY OK?

BestRegards,

Barr.Leo David Owen

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam