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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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• What can you do when you receive 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 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 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. )
• 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.
  • +2348022856155 (Nigeria, 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.
  • ems_benin_delivery@yahoo.fr

Fraud email example:

From: officefile@freenet.de
Date: Sat, 29 Mar 2008 02:18:37 +0100
Subject: Director General EMS Express West Africa




Dear Friend,

I have been waiting for you to contact me for
your Confirmable ATM CARD of $800.000.00 United States Dollars, after
you were unable to come up with the shipping fees,but I did not hear
from you since that time.Then I went and deposited the ATM CARD with EMS
COURIER SERVICE, West Africa,I would traveled out of the country for a
3Months Course and I will not come back till end of June 2008.

What
you have to do now is to contact the EMS COURIER SERVICE as soon as
possible to know when they will deliver your check to you because of
the expiring date. For your information, I have paid for the delivering
Charges, Insurance premium fees and Clearance Certificate Fees of the
ATM CARD showing that it is not a Drug Money.

The only money you
will send to the EMS COURIER SERVICE to deliver your ATM DEBIT CARD
direct to your postal Address in your country is ($120.00 USD)Dollars
only being Security Keeping Fee for the check with the Courier Company
so far.Again, don\'t be deceived by anybody to pay any other money
except $120.00 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
dumorage. You have to contact the EMS COURIER SERVICE now for the
delivery of your Check with this information below:

Director
General EMS Express West Africa Mr.Charles Martins
Email
Address:ems_benin_delivery@yahoo.fr
Mobile: +234 8022 856155

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 after you must have sent the fees of
$120.00 dollars for the Security fees 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 email to avoid
any further delay and remember to pay them their Security Keeping fee
of $120.00 US Dollars for their immediate action.

You should also let
me know through email as soon as you receive your check.

Regards,
Mr.
Richard Gozney.
Director General EMS Express West Africa

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

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam