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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "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.
  • +22993138690 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "chrispaul " <chrispaul9@rediffmail.com>
Date: 12 Jul 2007 13:37:14 -0000
Subject: GOOD NEWS TO YOU


Attention: The Beneficiary,
SCAMMED VICTIM/ $1.5million COMPENSATION- REF/PAYMENTS CODE:06654 We are delegated from the United Nations to Central Bank West Africa States to pay 100 Nigeria/Benin 419 scam victims $1.5million each, you are listed and approved for this payments as one of the scammed victims, get back to us as soon as possible for the immediate payments of your $1.5million compensations funds. On this faithful recommendations, I want you to know that during the last United Nation meetings held at Cotonou,Benin, it was alarmed so much by the rest of the world in the meetings on the lose of funds by various foreigners to the scams artists operating in syndicates all over the world today, in other to retain the good image of the country, the president of the Country is now paying 100 victims of this operators $1.5million each, Due to the corrupt and inefficient banking systems in Benin, the payments are to be paid by Pacific Finance Company Plc under funding assistance by the Central Bank of !
West Africa States According to the number of applicants at hand, 84 beneficiaries has been paid, half of the victims are from the United States and Asia, we still have more 20 left to be paid the compensations of $1.5million each only. Your particulars was mentioned by one of the syndicates who was arrested in Cotonou city Benin as one of their victims of the operations, you are hereby warned not to communicate or duplicate this message to him for any reason for whatsoever, the US secret service is already on trace of the criminals. For more vital information, please visit(http://home.rica.net/alphae/419coal/news1jul.htm OR, http://semissourian.com/story.html$rec1255You will receive your compensations payments via a DRAFT PAYMENTS and not a WIRE TRANSFERS; I shall feed you with further modalities as soon as I hear from you. In reply, provide your contact telephone number where we can be reached if need be.Reply through my alternative email address below: (chrispaul181@e!
xcite.com)Yours faithfully, Mr Chris paul De-facto Chief Compensation
Officer United Nations Compensation Committee Tel: +229-93-13-86-90 (United nations Anti-fraud Comm)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam