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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:

• 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. )
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned 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.
  • +22993866119 (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.
  • fedexcourriercompanyplc@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: abdulaziz522@zipmail.com.br
Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2007 04:05:49 +0200
Subject: =?iso-8859-1?Q?FINAL=20DELIVERY=20NOTICE?=

Dear Friend, Greetings!

I have been waiting for you since to contact me for your Confirmable Bank
Draft of ($850.000.00)

United States Dollars, but I did not hear from you since that time. Then
I went and deposited the

Draft with FEDEX COURIER COMPANY, Cotonou, Benin Republic before I travelled
out of the country

for a 3 Months Course ..
What you have to do now is to contact the FEDEX COURIER COMPANY as soon
as possible 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 & Security Company to deliver
your Draft direct to

your postal Address in your country is ($100.00 US) one hundred 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 $100.00 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.
You have to contact the FEDEX COURIER COMPANY now for the delivery of your
Draft with this

information bellow;

Contact Person:James Akaya
Telephone:+229 938 66119
Email Address:fedexcourriercompanyplc@yahoo.fr

Finally, make sure that you reconfirm the following infomation to them
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.

The infomations are;
1.YOUR FULL NAME;
2.YOUR AGE;
3.HOUSE/OFFICE ADDRESS
4.HOUSE / OFFICE PHONE NOS
5.A COPY OF YOUR PICT FOR IDDENTIFICATION

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 $100.00 US
Dollars for their

immediate action.Do let know immediately you recieves your package.

Yours Faithfully,

Dr Abdul Aziz

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam