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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.

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)
  • "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. )
  • "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 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.
  • fedexservice.couriercompany@yahoo.it

Fraud email example:

From: robertmark@freenet.de
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2008 17:20:09 +0100
Subject: Contact FedEx Service Courier Company for Your $1.5, 000 000 Us


Dear Friend,

Greetings to you & your Family.

I have been waiting for
you since to contact me for your Confirmable Bank Draft of $1.5, 000 000
United States Dollars, but I did not hear from you since that time, Then
I went and deposited the Draft with FedEx Service Courier Company,
Cotonou, Benin Republic before I traveled out of the country for a short
Course and I will not come back till end of next Month. What you have to
do now is to contact the FedEx Service 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
Charges, Insurance fee and Clearance Certificate Fee of the Cheque
showing that it is not a Drug Money nor to sponsor Terrorist attack in
your Country,

The only money you will send to the FedEx Service
Courier Company to deliver your Draft direct to your postal Address in
your country is ($115) One Hundred & Fifteen United States Dollars only
being their Security Keeping Fee of the FedEx Company so far. Again,
Don\'t deceive by anybody to pay any other money except $115.00,You have
to contact the FedEx Service Courier Company, now for the delivery of
your Draft with this information bellow.

Contact Person; Mr.Kalu
Osian
Email Address :(fedexservice.couriercompany@yahoo.it)Tel; (+229)
9391 4382.or (00229) 9391 4382. Finally, make sure that you reconfirm
your Postal address and Direct telephone number 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. You should also let me know through email as soon as you
receive your Draft.Contact to Company
E-mail:(fedexservice.couriercompany@yahoo.it)

Yours Faithfully,
Mr.
Diego Robert

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam