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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
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "affidavit of claim" (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. )
  • "united state of america" (this email uses bad English)
  • "affidavit " (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "chambers" (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.
  • +2299304411 (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.
  • westernunion.moneytransferurgent@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: "marthinsje77 Gazeta.pl" <marthinsje77@gazeta.pl>
Date: Mon, 26 May 2008 20:21:02 +0200
Subject: FROM OFFICE OF THE WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER.


*<https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.festivalsegou.org/logo%2520western%2520union.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.festivalsegou.org/Festival,%2520textpartners.htm&h7&w6&sz!&tbnid=kzwP-QhFmZ0J:&tbnh7&tbnw6&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwestern%2Bunion%2Blogo&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum
ct=image&cd

<https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.socgenyu.com/uploads/tx_templavoila/western_union_logo_en.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.socgenyu.com/index.php%3Fid%3D1130&h˜&w˜&sztbnid=XM6pURDdUe8J:&tbnh˜&tbnw˜&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwestern%2Bunion%2Blogo&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum
ct=image&cd
<https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.elitecayman.com/Quickstart/ImageLib/WU_logo_bar_bar_yellow_on_black_background.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.elitecayman.com/page6.html&h7&w8&sz tbnid=L7igBXLhwaoJ:&tbnh7&tbnw8&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwestern%2Bunion%2Blogo&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum
ct=image&cd
FROM
OFFICE OF THE WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER.
COTONOU BENIN REPUBLIC/ADDRESS 455 AGBOKOU,ANKPA ROAD
OPPOSITE TUNDE MOTORS COTONOU.
WEB SITE.www.westernunion.com <http://site.www.westernunion.com/>
http://site.www.westernunion.com/

*
*Send Money Worldwide**
TEL +229-93-04-4-11.FAX+229-93-202-545.*
***------------------------------*
*ATTN;BENEFICIARY: *

*The management and control of all finances of the Government as prescribed
by the constitution of the country is the responsibility of the Ministry of
Finance to handle all foreign arias/debts. The Board of Federal Ministry of
Finance Benin Republic. NOTE THAT AFTER YOUR FRIEND WHO DEPOSITED THIS FUND
HERE PAY THE $190.00 THA IS FOR RE-NEWING AND VALIDAITNG YOUR FILES HERE IN
OUR OFFICE ,However i want to assure you that we have validated your file
and it is up to date right now and the only thing needed for upper chambers
of three arm of Government to give their final approval and to enable us
send the first $5000.00 payment to you out of your $850.000 United State of
American Dollars through western union money transfer is Affidavit of
Claim and the cost of the( Affidavit of Claim ) is $250.00 then we
will starting sending your payment every day $5000.00.

So you are advised to Send the $250 dollar through western union with the
name and address below:

Receiver name -----------EDYY FRANK
City-------------------- -COTONOU
Country------------------BENIN REPUBLIC
Test Question------------TRANSFER
Test Answer-------------URGENT
Amount-------------------$250 .00

Again if you have the ( Affidavit of Claim ) in your possesion then you can
as well send it to us and we will proceed immediately by sending your funds
as planned. THIS IS THE CONTROL NUMBER OF THE PAYMENT $5000 FAR A DAY AND
THIS ONE IS READY NOW, BUT THIE NUMBER IS NOT COMPLETE NOW UNTILL YOU SEND
THE FEE $250........MTCN#345537298,so try to send the money immediately
after reading this mail because we are ready to send you $5000 today,send
the money before we can release the CONTROL NUMBER complete for you.

Yours in service
Dr Carlson J. Obi.
Finance Minister
Federal Republic of Benin.
**www.westernunion.co.uk* <http://www.westernunion.co.uk/>
*Western Union Payments
*
*[image: Dollars]* *[image: Western Union Logo]**Western Union(R) *
*Welcome to Western UnionPhone:+229-93 04-41-11.*
*EMAIL westernunion.moneytransferurgent@yahoo.co.uk*
*Send Money Worldwide*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam