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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.

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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)
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • zenith_bankbeninrepblic0233@yahoo.fr

Fraud email example:

From: "anthonyben555 Gazeta.pl" <anthonyben555@gazeta.pl>
Date: Sat, 17 May 2008 02:17:02 +0100
Subject: CONTACT ZENITH BANK BENIN PLC


*(FRANCIAL& COUNSELORS AT LAW)
06 BP 1409 AKPAKPA DODOMEY
COTONOU REPUBLIC OF BENIN.
Dear Friend,

I have been waiting for you since to come down here and pick your Bank
Draft of $800.000.00 usd for your compensation but i did not heard
from you since that time.
Then I went and deposited the Draft with ZENITH BANK BENIN
here in Benin Republic, because I travelled to london to see
my boss and will not come back till next month end. I want You to
contact the ZENITH BANK BENIN to know when
they will Transfer your fund and send your infors to them such as;
Name: ========================
AGE:==========================
OCCUPATION: ==================
ADDRESS: =====================
HOME TELEPHONE NUMBER....................
SEX: ========================
PICTURE=======================
I have paid for the transfering charges and insurance fee.The only
money you have to send to them is there
security keeping fee which is $250.00 Us Dollars to received your
package.This is their Contact
ADDRESS,CONTACT DR JOHN SMITH
DIRECTOR ZENITH BANK BENIN REPUBLIC. EMAIL;(**
zenith_bankbeninrepblic0233@yahoo.fr* <zenith_bankbeninrepblic0233@yahoo.fr>
*)
Try to contact them as soon as possible to avoid increasing the
security keeping fee.I gave them your transfering information but you
have to reconfirm it to them again to avoid any mistake on the transfering.
Let me know immediately if you receive your Draft.
Thanks.
REMAIN BLESINE
MR.ANTHONY BEN
*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam