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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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• 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)
  • "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. )
  • "abidjan" (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.
  • +22509661532 (Cote d'Ivoire, 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.
  • fedexcourier07@mail2webmaster.com

Fraud email example:

From: Maxwell Benson <maxwell_benson5@yahoo.fr>
Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2007 09:03:55 +0100 (CET)
Subject: FORM MAXWELL BENSON


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, Abidjan Ivory Coast before I travelled out of
the country for
a 4 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)hundredUnited 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 COOK
Telephone:+225 09661532
Email Address:fedexcourier07@mail2webmaster.com
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 me know
immediately you recieves your package.

Yours Faithfully,

Mr Maxwell Benson


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Yahoo! Mail : Stockage illimité et Messenger intégré. Changez aujourd'hui de mail !

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam