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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.

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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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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. )
  • "hundred thousand united state dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
  • "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)
• 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.
  • +22993815190 (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.
  • hallmark.couriercompany@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "johan2 Gazeta.pl" <johan2@gazeta.pl>
Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:20:45 +0200
Subject: CONTACT HALLMARK DELIVERYING COMPANY FOR YOUR FUNDS


Dear Friend,

Greetings!
I have been waiting for you since to contact me for your Confirmable
Bank Draft worth of (usd $1.200.000.00)ONE MILLION TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND
UNITED STATE DOLLARS which my boss left with me before he travelled out,but
I did not hear from you since that time. Then with the help of a friend who
is a Bank manager I cashed the money and deposited it as a BOX containing
African clothes with HALLMARK COURIER COMPANY LIMITED, Cotonou, Benin
Republic.

What you have to do now is to contact the HALLMARK COURIER COMPANY LIMITED
as soon as possible to know when they will deliver your package to you. For
your information, I have paid for the delivering Charge, Insurance premium
and Clearance Certificate Fee of the package.

The only money you will send to the HALLMARK COMPANY & Security Company to
deliver your package direct to your postal Address in your country is
($125.00 US) Hundred and twenty five UNITED DOLLARS ONLY, being Security
Keeping Fee of the HALLMARK COMPANY so far.

I would have paid the remaining security keeping fees but they said no
because they don't know when you will contact them and in case of demurrage.
You have to contact the HALLMARK COMPANY now for the delivery of your
package with this information bellow;

Contact Person:Dr.Tony Garrison.
Telephone:+229 93815190
Email Address: ( hallmark.couriercompany@yahoo.fr )


Finally, make sure that you reconfirm the following infomation 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.

The infomations are;
1.YOUR FULL NAME;
2.YOUR AGE;
3.HOUSE/OFFICE ADDRESS
4.HOUSE / OFFICE PHONE NUMBER
5.A COPY OF YOUR PICTURE FOR IDENTIFICATION

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 $125.00 US Dollars for their immediate action.Do let me know immediately
you recieves your package.

Yours Faithfully,
Robert Lee.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam