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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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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)
  • "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)
  • "foreign payment department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
  • "federal republic of benin" (Benin, Cameroon, etc. are no Federal Republics, unlike Nigeria where this type of scam was invented)
• 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.
  • uniontrustbankb@tlen.pl
  • uniontrust_bk@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "MRS. STELLA TOULOU" <mrs_stellatoulou3@norilsk.biz>
Date: Sat, 6 Sep 2008 18:44:02 +0200
Subject: ATTENTION:ATM MASTER CARD OWNER.


*FROM THE DESK OF MRS STELLA TOULOU,
DIRECTOR ATM CARD DEPARTMENT
UNION TRUST BANK AND SECURITY
BENIN REPUBLIC WEST AFRICA.
OUR REF: U.T.B.S.C./MF/B01/Vol 01
* <uniontrustbnk@live.com><http://us.mc337.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=uniontrustbankb@tlen.pl>
* *
**
*ATTENTION :ATM MASTER CARD OWNER,*
* *
*WE HERE BY NOTIFYING YOU THAT UNION TRUST BANK HAVE BEEN MANDATED TO ISSUE
OUT YOUR PAYMENT OF $1,200,000.00USD THROUGH ATM CARD AND YOU HAVE TO STOP
ANY FURTHER COMMUNICATION WITH ANY OTHER PERSON5(S) OR OFFICE(S) TO AVOID
ANY HITCHES IN RECEIVING YOUR ATM CARD PAYMENT.*
* *
*UNION TRUST BANK MANAGER HAVE CONFIRMED AUTOMATION OF YOUR PAYMENT, THIS IS
THE LATEST INSTRUCTION FROM DR BONI YAYI,THE NEW PRESIDENT FEDERAL REPUBLIC
OF BENIN. THE BANK HAVE ARRANGED YOUR PAYMENT THROUGH SWIFT CARD PAYMENT
CENTER WHICH IS ASIA PACIFIC, THIS CARD CENTER WILL SEND YOU AN ATM CARD
WHICH YOU WILL USE TO WITHDRAW YOUR MONEY IN ANY ATM MACHINE IN ANY PART OF
THE WORLD BUT THE MAXIMUM DAILY WITHDRAWAL IS $5,000USD PER DAY. *
**
*NOW YOU ARE TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR FUND BY CONTACTING THE BANK
IMMEDIATELY,THIS IS A SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT IN COLLABORATION WITH MASTER CARD
COMPANY USA.*
* *
*KINDLY CONTACT THE BELOW PERSON WHO IS IN POSITION TO RELEASE YOUR ATM
PAYMENT CARD TO YOU. YOU ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD TO DR. MARTIN DAVE YOUR
FULL INFORMATION AND TELEPHONE NUMBER SOON FOR IMMEDIATE MAILING OF THE ATM
CARD TO YOUR ADDRESS.*
* *
*DR.MARTIN DAVE
FOREIGN PAYMENT DEPARTMENT
UNION TRUST BANK BENIN REPUBLIC
EMAIL:* uniontrust_bk@hotmail.com
* *
*NOTE THAT BECAUSE OF IMPOSTORS THE UTBSC HEREBY ISSUED YOU OUR CODE OF
CONDUCT WHICH IS ATM-04147 SO YOU HAVE TO INDICATE THIS CODE WHEN
CONTACTING DR.MARTIN DAVE ON THE CARD CENTER BY USING IT AS YOUR SUBJECT.
KINDLY NOTIFY UTBSC IMMEDIATELY YOU CONFIRM THE RECEIPT OF THIS MASSAGE FROM
THE UNION TRUST BANK.*
* *
*MRS STELLA TOULOU*
*HAND OF ATM DEPT*
*UTBSC BANK BENIN.*

*UNION TRUST BANK AND SECURITY*
*N.B: If you have received this mail erro please discard it.*
*This mail was sent on behalf of UTBSC** BENIN as it is guaranteed on our
banking code of conduct.*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam