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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:
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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:
  • "required 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. )
  • "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
  • "federal republic of benin" (Benin, Cameroon, etc. are no Federal Republics, unlike Nigeria where this type of scam was invented)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
• 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.
  • +22993030891 (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.
  • mrfrankobumu02@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "mrbenjustice010 Gazeta.pl" <mrbenjustice010@gazeta.pl>
Date: Wed, 21 May 2008 15:18:41 +0200
Subject: Contact Mr Frank To send Your Fund Through Western union


Attn: Beneficiary,

The Board of Federal Ministry Of Finance Benin Republic are hereby notify
you of your payment inheritance of $1.8 Million only after the meeting held
on 28th of Febuary 2008. His Excellency the PRESIDENT OF FEDERAL REPUBLIC
OF BENIN has Instructed this Department to send your funds through Western
Union Money Transfer and Money gram respectively for easier receiving of
your inherited funds without any further delay so to avoid paying money to
the fraudsters that is going on through the internet.

To effect this payment to you therefore, you are required to send your name
and address where you want your fund to be sent through Western Union and
the maximium amount you will be receiving each day starting from the very
day you submitted your info is the sum of $14000.00. $7000.00 from western
union $7000.00 from money gram. Also, your are required to send to us the
sum of US$278 dollar only immedaitely for renewing and re-confirming of your
file that was deposited in this office with your name and address bellow .

Your Receiver's Name:-------------------
Address--------------------------------
Tel phone-----------------------------

THEN YOU WILL CONTACT BARR./MR FRANK OBUMU with this informations below:

CONTACT PERSON: BARR FRANK J. OBUMU
TEL: +229 930 308 91.
EMAIL: mrfrankobumu02@hotmail.com

As soon the required fee of $278 is send today for the renewing and
reconfirming the payment file of your funds, you will start receiving your
funds immediately.

So send the $278 dollar through western union with the name and address
below:



Receiver's Name: ---------- Nzeluo Simeon
Address: City--------------------COTONOU
Country: -------------------BENIN REPUBLIC
Test Question---------------HONEST
Test Answer-----------------TRUST
Amount to send: ------------------------$278.00

We await to receive the western union payment informations today. Please if
you are not the real beneficiary, don't respond and delete.



Yours faithfully in service.
Dr Ben Justice

Financial Minister.
Federal Republic of Benin.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam