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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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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:
  • "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. )
  • "million united states 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)
  • "waiting for your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "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.
  • +22995504576 (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.
  • infor_maxdeliv24hrs2002@yahoo.com.au (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "john ikechukwu" <johnikechukwu022@gala.net>
Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2008 04:44:19 +0800
Subject: Contact Shalom Global Security Company For Your Bank Draft!


*Dear Friend,

Greetings to you & your Family.

I have been waiting for you since to contact me for your Confirmable Bank
Draft of $1.3MILLION United States Dollars, but I did not hear from you
since that time ,Then I went and deposited the Draft with Shalom Global
Security 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 Shalom Global 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 ($275) only being their Security
Keeping Fee of the Courier Company so far.

Again, Don't deceive by anybody to pay any other money except $275.00,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 Shalom Global
Security Company now for the delivery of your Draft with this information
bellow. Director Shalom Courier Company Benin Republic.

E-mail:(**infor_maxdeliv24hrs2002@yahoo.com.au*<infor_maxdeliv24hrs2002@yahoo.com.au>
*)
Phone number 00229 95504576.
Registration No; Eg2272
Code Number::01721457

Finally, make sure that you reconfirm your Postal address and Direct
telephone number to them again to avoid any mistake on the Delivery and 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 $275 for their immediate action.You should also Let me know through email
as soon as you receive your Draft.

Note. The Shalom Global Security Company don't know the contents of the Box.
I registered it as a Box of an Africa cloths. They don't know it contents
money. this is to avoid them delaying with the Box. don't let them know what
is contains.

I am waiting for your urgent response. You can even call the Director of
Shalom Global Security Company, Dr.Micheal Walter with this line 00229
95504576.

Yours Faithfully,
Mr.John Ikechukwu.
*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam