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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:
  • "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 company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• 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.
  • +22993018723 (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.
  • royal.couriercompany@yahoo.pl (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "ekenechi2009@live.fr tonyokolo" <tonyokolo3@biz.by>
Date: Wed, 28 May 2008 10:39:29 +0200
Subject: CONTACT ROYAL COURIER COMPANY


Attn:My Dear,

Have been waiting for you since to contact me for your Confirmable Bank
Draft of $1.500, 000.00 United States Dollars, but I did not hear from you
since that time. Then I went and deposited the Draft withROYAL COURIER
DELIVERY COMPANY SERVICE, Cotonou, Benin Republic before I travelled out of
the country for a 3 Months Course and I will not come back till end of next
year April 2008 What you have to do now is to contact the ROYAL COURIER
DELIVERY COMPANY SERVICE as soon as possible to know when they will deliver
your package to you because of the expiring date.For your information, I
have paid for the delivering Charge, Insurance premium and Clearance
Certificate Fee of the Cheque showing that it is not a Drug Money.

I gave them your delivering address but you have to reconfirm it to them
again to avoid any mistake on the delivering.
Reconfirm below information to the company.

Your Full Name-----------------------
Your Address---------------------------
Home telephone---------------------
Office telephone---------------------
Your pic----------------------------------
Your company registration number ---------EM5697439
Code number-----------------------------------------48SRIO41

Let me know immediately you receive your package and sheck the contents
wheather the complete of the total $1.5M .The only money you will send to
the Courier Company to deliver your Draft direct to your postal Address in
your country is ($110.00 US) One Hundred & Ten 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 $110.00 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 the ROYAL COURIER DELIVERY COMPANY SERVICE BENIN now
for the delivery of your Draft with this information bellow;
Contact Person: DR. CHIDI BELLO.
Email: royal.couriercompany@yahoo.pl
Phone;+229-93-01-87-23

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 confirmation receipt to enable you confirm 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 $110.00 US
Dollars for their immediate action.You should also let me k now throug h
email as soon as you receive your Draft.



Yours Faithfully,
SECRETARY
Tony Okolo

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam