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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.

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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)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "huge amount of money" (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)
  • "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.
  • +22993561738 (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.
  • email_contact@sify.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Dr Jeff" <akum@centrum.sk>
Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2008 10:11:03 +0200
Subject: Dear Friend,


Cotonou Benin Republic
FROM THE DESK OF: 
MR Jeff Akum
 
Dear Friend,
 
Greetings to you &amp; your Family. I have been waiting for you since to contact me for your Confirmable Bank Draft of ($1.m) United States Dollars, but I did not hear from you since then ,Then I went and deposited the Draft with  Apex Courier Delivery Company ,Cotonou,Benin Republic, before I traveled out of the country for a short Course and i  will not come back until three months. What you have to do now is to contact the Apex Courier Delivery 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., The only money you will send to the Courier &amp; Security Company to deliver your Draft direct to your postal Address in your country is ($195) only being their Security Keeping Fee of the Courier Company so far. Again, Do not be deceive by anybody to pay any other money except ($195), 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 Apex Courier Delivery Company now for the delivery of your Draft with this information
 
Name Alhaji Umar  Garba
EMAIL: email_contact@sify.com
Phone +229 93561738

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 ($195)  for their immediate action. You should also let me know through email as soon as you receive your Draft.
 
Note. Apex courier Delivery Company does not know the contents of the parcel. I registered it as my photograph (pix) is being sent to a friend overseas. They do not know that it contains a bank draft of such a huge amount of money. This is to avoid them tempering with the package. Do not let them know know the contents. I am waiting to hear the good news from you.
 
Regards,
MR Jeff Akum

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam