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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

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.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

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:

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: transwordcourierservices@hotmail.fr
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:08:34 +0100
Subject: SECRETARY OFFICE


SECRETARY OFFICE
BP 1818 COCOTOMY ABEDMEY.
COTONOU REPUBLIC OF BENIN.
Dear Friend,

I have been waiting for you to come down here to pick up your Cashier Bank
Draft before,i left Cotonou. Then I went and deposited the Draft with a
Courier company name : TRANS WORLD COURIER SERVICES. here in Benin
Republic,Please for your informations I travelled to Japan to see my boss as
he instructed me and I did not know the time to come back.

You are to contact the TRANS WORLD COURIER SERVICES. with the registration
number, independent/mtm/ped/214/2006 and also the security code of 883kp to
know when they will deliver your package,

Bellow is their Contact Informations:
Attn: Sir. Bruno Mathew
Address : BP 15 Ste Ceceile Ave,
City: Cotonou
Country: Republic Du Benin.

EMAIL:(transwordcourierservices@hotmail.fr) Try to contact them as soon as
possible to avoid increasing the security keeping fee.

Finally, you have to reconfirm these information to them: Your complete name
Phone number
Residence or office address
Age
Occupation
Marital status
House or office address
Cell phone number

These information are necessary to avoid any mistake in delivery. Let me
know as soon as you receive your Draft.

Regards,
Mr. Denis Moussa.
Secretary

Anti-fraud resources: