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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)
  • "insurance fee " (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. )
  • "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. )
  • "million united states dollars" (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)
  • "waiting for your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "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.
  • +22993151124 (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.
  • apexcourier_24hrs77@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: jimpeters13@freenet.de
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2008 03:44:51 +0100
Subject: View and contact (apex global security company)


Dear Friend,
Greetings to you & your Family.
I have been waiting for you
since to contact me for your Confirmable
Bank Draftof $2.3MILLION
United States Dollars, but I did not hear from you since that
time ,Then
I went and deposited the Draft with APEX Global Security CompanyCotonou
Benin Republic before I travelled out of the country for a short
Courseand i will not come back till end of next Month.What you have to
do now is to contact the APEX Global SecurityCompany as soonas possible
to know when they will deliver your package to you because of
theexpiring date.For your information, I have paid for the delivering
Charges,Insurance fee and Clearance Certificate Fee of the Cheque
showing that it isnot a Drug Money nor to sponsor Terrorist attack in
your Country,The only moneyyou will send to the Courier & Security
Company to deliver your Draft direct toyour postal Address in your
country is ($183.00) only being their SecurityKeeping Fee of the Courier
Company so far. Again, Don\'t deceive by anybody topay any other money
except ($183.00) I would have paid that but they said nobecause they
don\'t know when you will contact them and in case of

demurrage.
Youhave to contact the APEX Global Security Company now for
the delivery of your
Draft with this information bellow. Director APEX
Global Security Company
Cotonou Benin Republic.
Contact Person ;Dr
Charles Richards
Phone number........
+229-9315-1124.
E-mail:(apexcourier_24hrs77@yahoo.fr)
Registration
No.........;Eg2272
Code Number.........::01721457
Finally, make sure
that you reconfirm your Postal address and Direct telephonenumber to
them again to avoid any mistake on the Delivery and Let me
repeatagain,try to contact them as soon as you receive this mail to
avoid
any furtherdelay and remember to pay them their Security Keeping
fee of ($183.00) fortheir immediate action.You should also Let me know
through email as soon as youreceive your Draft. Note. The APEX Global
Security Company Cotonou don\'t knowthe contents of the Box, I
registered it as a Box of an Africa cloths. They
don\'t know itcontents
money. this is to avoid them delaying with the
Box. don\'t
let them
know what is contains.
I am waiting for your urgent response. You can
even call the Director of APEX
Global Security Company, Dr.Micheal
Walter with this line +229-93-15-1124.
Yours Faithfully,
Mr.Jimpeters.



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam