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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.

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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)
  • "waiting for your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "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 "New Partner from Paraguay" scam.
• 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.
  • +22997345082 (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.
  • fedexexpresscouriercompanybenin1@yahoo.fr

Fraud email example:

From: "Ogugua Livenus" <livenusogugua12@mailbox.hu>
Date: Fri, 16 May 2008 03:16:34 +0100
Subject: I HAVE REGISTERED YOUR CONSIGNMENT WITH FEDEX.


Dear Friend

I have been waiting for you since to contact me for your Confirmable Bank
Draft of $1.200,000 United States Dollars, but I did not hear from you since
for a couple of weeks now.

Then I went to the bank to confirm if the draft has expired or getting near
to expire and Dr.Wilson the Director of ECO Bank told me that before the
draft will get to your hand that it will expire. So I told him to cash the
$1.200,000 USD UNITED STATES DOLLARS to cash payment to avoid losing this
funds under expiration as I will be out out of the country for a 3 Months
Course and I will not come back till ending of March 2008.

What you have to do now is to contact FEDEX EXPRESS COURIER SERVICES COMPANY
as soon as possible to know when they will deliver your Consignment to you
because of the expiring date. For your information, I have paid for the
delivering Charge, Insurance premium.

The only money you will send to the FEDEX EXPRESS COURIER SERVICES to
deliver your Consignment direct to your postal Address in your country is
($105.00 US) One Hundred & Five United States 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 $105.00 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 demurrage.

You have to contact FEDEX EXPRESS COURIER SERVICES COMPANY BENIN now for the
delivery of your consignment with this information bellow;
Directors Name: Dr. Aminu Yusuf
Companys Name:FEDEX EXPRESS COURIER SERVICES COMPANY BENIN
Email Address: (fedexexpresscouriercompanybenin1@yahoo.fr)
Tel: +229 973-450-82.

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 $105.00 US Dollars for
their immediate action.

Note this. The FEDEX EXPRESS COURIER SERVICES don't know the contents of the
Box. I registered it as a BOX of Africa cloths. They did not know the
contents was money. this is to avoid them delaying with the BOX. Don't let
them know that box contents money ok.

I am waiting for your urgent response.

Yours Faithfully,
Mr.Livenus Ogugua.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam