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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:
  • "swift card payment center" (this phrase is often used in the ATM card payment scam)
  • "card center will send you an atm card" (this phrase is often used in the ATM card payment scam)
  • "hundred thousand u.s 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)
  • "00,000.00" (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)
  • "you are advice to " (this email uses bad English)
  • "chief auditor" (the name of a person or institution often appearing 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.
  • +22997571766 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
  • +22993110755 (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.
  • johnson_mrs.jennifer@yahoo.com
  • frankgeorge0032@mail.ru (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "FRANK GEORGE" <frankgeorge0055@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2008 21:04:48 +0100
Subject: YOUR FUND HAVE BEEN APPROVED FOR PAYMENT


YOUR FUND HAVE BEEN APPROVED FOR PAYMENT

Attention Beneficiary:

This is to officially inform you that we have verified your inheritance /
contract file and found out that why you have not received your payment is
because you have not fulfilled the obligations given to you in respect of
your inheritance /contract payment.

Right now we have arranged your payment through our swift card payment
center asia pacific, that is the latest instruction by this office West
Africa Inheritance/ Contract Fund Monitoring Agency.

This card center will send you an Atm Card which you will use to withdraw
your money in any Atm machine or Bank in any part of the world. So to
receive your fund through Atm Card please contact the card payment center
and also send the following information:

1.Your full name
2. Phone and fax number,
3. Address were you want them to send the atm card
4. Your age and current occupation

E-mail it to the below Contact Person:

INTEGRATED PAYMENT DEPARTMENT
Mrs.Jennifer Johnson
Tel+229-97571766
Email : johnson_mrs.jennifer@yahoo.com

The Atm card payment center has been mandated to issue you an Atm Card of
$500,000.00 ( FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND U.S DOLLARS) as the first part payment
of your fund, which you are advice to contact urgently the payment center
for the release of your fund to you through ATM card.

Also for your information you have to stop any further communication with
any other person(s) or office(s) who claim to be in position of your fund,
thereby misleading and having the opportunity to extort money from you. This
is to avoid any hitches in finalizing your payment.

Call the Integrated Payment Department their direct line 00229-97571766 as
soon as you reply to this important message for further direction in this
regards and also update me on any development from the above mentioned
office.

Note: that because of imposters, we hereby issued you our code of conduct,
which is (303) so you have to indicate this code when contacting the card
center.

(Sign Frank George.)
Direct Hot line: +229-93110755
Email; frankgeorge0032@mail.ru
Chief Auditor To The West Africa Inheritance
Fund Monitoring Unit

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam