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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:
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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "diplomatic immunity"
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "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)
  • "dear beneficiary," (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
  • "diplomatic immunity" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
  • "the diplomat " ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
  • "a diplomat " ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
  • "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
• 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.
  • +447031910113 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: Rev.Father Collins Powell <revpcollins@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: revp_collins@yahoo.com
Date: Sun, 23 Dec 2007 12:31:58 -0800
Subject: INFORMATIONS


THE UNITED NATIONS ORGANISATION
In Conjunction with the International Monetary Fund
WORLD BANK FACT-FINDING & SPECIAL DUTIES OFFICE
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM.
TEL: +447031910113
Dear Beneficiary,

I am Rev. Father Collins Powell, a senior staff with the World Bank fact =
finding & special duties office. I and the chief security officer (CSO) of =
this organization have arranged with an officer in computer section engineer =
Peter Uba to bring out part of your total pending payment sum amounting to =
US$10 million. Why we did this is because according to information gathered =
from the bank=92s/security computer, you have been waiting for a long time to =
receive your money without success.

As I found out that you have almost met all the statutory requirements in =
respect of your pending payment, your problem is that of interest groups. A =
lot of people are interested in your payment and those people are merely =
doing paper works with you and that explains why you receive fax and phone =
messages from different people everyday. Also we found out that some of the =
officials of the parastatals have been extorting a lot of money from you with =
the pretext of helping you receive your money. I can assure you that this may =
last for years yet nothing happens if you do not do away with those officers =
that you call your partners The money is in a security-proof box weighing =
75kg.
Yesterday we went to four courier companies to make arrangements on how to =
ship them by courier to you. Dhl, EMS, FedEx, UPS all said that they must =
open the box for inspection by the customs before shipment. This is something =
we want to avoid because the box is padded with synthetic nylon and you have =
to cut the pad before you will meet the button that you will press to open =
the dial code-lock. There is no way you can open the box and be able to close =
it again because it was padded by a machine. We told the courier services =
that the box contained film materials and when opened will spoil the =
materials. We did not declare money because courier does not carry money.

Today a friend of mine who is a diplomat disclosed to me that there is a =
security courier service that can send diplomatic materials and information =
from one country to another. It has diplomatic immunity and consignment =
cannot be checked by any customs anywhere in the world. I have met the =
officials of the security courier service and concluded shipping arrangement =
with them, which they will commence as soon as i have your go ahead order. =
The diplomat will help me so we do not have any problem.
We have concluded that you must donate Five Hundred Thousand United States =
dollars (US$500,000.00) to charity here in UK as soon as you receive your =
money.

To this effect, you will send us a promissory note for Five Hundred Thousand =
United States dollars (US$500,000.00) along with your address for sending the =
box by courier. Out that we are using this way to help you. Do not ever tell =
anybody about this until you have your money. I want to help you because =
something in me is telling me that you are an honest person. When you =
conclude this and you send our promise, we will help to ship the final =
part of your money to you.
God be with us as we wait for your reply. Please do not fail to call.
Yours faithfully,
REV. FATHER COLLINS POWELL.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam