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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
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• 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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "insurance 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. )
  • "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 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.
  • fedexcouriercompanybenin1982@gmail.com
  • fedexworlddeliveringcompanybenin01@mighty.co.za

Fraud email example:

From: "franklindon02 Gazeta.pl" <franklindon02@gazeta.pl>
Date: Thu, 29 May 2008 12:40:06 +0200
Subject: CONTACT FEDEX COURIER COMPANY FOR YOUR CONSGNMENT


franklindon02



Dear Friend,

Greetings to you & your Family.

I have been waiting for you since to contact me for your Confirmable Bank
Draft of $850.000.00 United States Dollars, but I did not hear from you
since that time ,

Then I went and deposited the Draft with Fedex Courier Company,Cotonou,
Benin Republic before I travelled out of the country for a short Course and
i will not come back till end of next Month. What you have to do now is to
contact the Fedex Courier & Security Company 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 Charges, Insurance fee
and Clearance Certificate Fee of the Cheque showing that it is not a Drug
Money nor to sponsor Terrorist attack in your Country, The only money you
will send to the Courier & Security Company to deliver your
Draft direct to your postal Address in your country is ($78) Seventy Eighty
United States Dollars only being their Security Keeping Fee of the Courier
Company so far.

Again, Don't deceive by anybody to pay any other money except $78.00,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 Fedex Courier
& Security Company now for the delivery of your Draft with
this information bellow.

Contact Person; Dr.Tony Afi.
Email Address
fedexcouriercompanybenin1982@gmail.com
fedexworlddeliveringcompanybenin01@mighty.co.za

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 $78 for their immediate
action.

You should also Let me know through email as soon as you receive your Draft.

Yours Faithfully,
Mr.Franklin Don,
Cotonou,Republic of Benin.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam