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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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• 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:
  • "i have a new email address!" (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
  • "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 fake lottery scam. Consider the following facts about real lotteries:
  
  1. They don't notify winners by email.
  2. You can't win without first buying a lottery ticket.
  3. They don't randomly select email addresses to award prizes to.
  4. They don't use free email accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc) to communicate with you.
  5. They don't tell you to call a mobile phone number.
  6. They don't tell you to keep your winnings secret.
  7. They will never ask a winner to pay any fees to receive a prize!
• 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.
  • george_hunter04@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • reduction_presidency2008@hotmail.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2008 19:40:49 -0800 (PST)
Subject: URGENT ATTENTION FOR YOUR TRANSFER TRACER


I have a new email address!You can now email me at: george_hunter04@yahoo.com



- FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANCE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF BENIN HEAD OFFICE: NO. 140 ALINO KAMAL WAY ASOKORO, FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY, BENIN, COTONOU. BRANCH OFFICE: NO.101 ADELOA ODEKU STREET VICTORIA ISLAND, PORTO-NOVO, BENIN. Attention Your are urgently informed that your funds ($1.5Million ) has been 17/10/08 transferred to your designated account following the order of Hon. Minister of Finance Federal Republic of Benin. Please you are advised to contact Dr. Ali Modu Sheriff, the Director Due Process Unit for your Transfer Tracer and Funds Release OrderDocuments. His E-mail Address E-mail:(reduction_presidency2008@hotmail.fr). Don't fail to reach him immediately for your Transfer Tracer to be sent to you if you go to your bank and still could not confirm the funds in your bank account. Yours Faithfully, Mr. Johnson Menson National Coordinator Foreign Payment.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam