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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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• 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.

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)
  • "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)
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • +22993461582 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:14:39 +0200
Subject: Contact Ups Delivery company for a packge


Dear Friend

Greetings!

I have been waiting for you since to contact me for your Confirmable Bank
Draft worth of(US$1,200,000.00) One Million two hundred thousand bank which
my boss left with me before he travelled out,but I did not hear from you
since that time Then with the help of a friend who is a Bank manager I
cashed the money and deposited it as a BOX containing African clothes with
UPS DELIVERY COMPANY, Cotonou, Benin Republic.


What you have to do now is to contact the UPS DELIVERY COMPANY as soon as
possible to know when they will deliver your package to you. For your
information, I have paid for the delivering Charge, Insurance premium Fee
of the package.

The only money you will send to the Ups Delivery Company to deliver your
package direct to your postal Address in your country is ($120.00 US) one
Hundred and twenty UNITED DOLLARS ONLY, being their Security Keeping Fee of
the Ups Delivery Company so far. I would have paid that but they said no
because they don't know when you will contact them and in case of demurrage.


You have to contact the Ups Delivery Company now for the delivery of your
funds with this information bellow;

Director Name:Dr.Ugo Odili.
Telephone: +229 93461582
Email Address:(united-parcel-service@live.fr)

Make sure that you reconfirm the following infomation to them again to avoid
deliver your funds to wrong person on the Delivery and ask them to give you
the pin code number to enable you open your package when it arrive to your
address, You have to look by the side of the box you will see how to open
it, the instruction is there. and note that the delivery company dont know
that the box contains money this is to avoid them delay the delivery to you

The infomations they need from you are as follows;

1.YOUR FULL NAME;
2.YOUR AGE;
3.HOUSE/OFFICE ADDRESS
4.HOUSE / OFFICE PHONE NUMBER
5.A COPY OF YOUR PICTURE FOR IDENTIFICATION
6.YOUR COUNTRY
7. DATE OF BIRTH

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 $120.00 US Dollars for their immediate action.Do let me know immediately
you recieves your
funds.



Yours Faithfully,
Barr:Lyne Wilson

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam