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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. )
  • "hundred thousand 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)
  • "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "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.
  • gmcourier879@yahoo.dk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: johnmark01@freenet.de
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2008 20:32:18 +0100
Subject: CONTACT FEDEX EXPRESS COURIER DELIVERY COMPANY FOR YOUR PACKAGE


Dear Friend,
Greetings!
I have been waiting for you since to contact me
for your Confirmable Bank Draft of USD$2.5M (TWO MILLION AND FIVE
HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS but I did not hear from you
since that
time. Then I went and deposited the Draft withFEDEX COURIER
SERVICE, Cotonou, Benin Republic before I travelled out of the country
for a 3 Months Course
and I will not come back till end of
December.
What you have to do now is to contact the FEDEX COURIER
SERVICE 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 FEDEX COURIER SERVICE to deliver your Draft direct to your postal
Address in your country is ($155.00 US) 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 $155.00US 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 SERVICE now for the delivery of your Draft with this

information bellow;
Contact Person: DR.FRANK DON
Email
gmcourier879@yahoo.dk
Telephone:00229 93 567095
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.
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
$155.00 US Dollars
for their immediate action.
You should also let me know through email as
soon as you receive your Draft.
Yours Faithfully,
Mr.JOHN MARK



Unbegrenzter Speicher, Top-Spamschutz, 120 SMS und eigene E-MailDomain
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http://office.freenet.de/dienste/emailoffice/produktuebersicht/power/mail/index.html

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam