419 scam: "IKOBO PROMO TEAM"<info@ikobo.com> claim your winnings

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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "processing fee" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- ",000,000" (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)
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 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.
- +2347063669919 (Nigeria, 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.
- ikobomteam@hotmail.com (Hotmail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: "IKOBO PROMO TEAM" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ikobomteam@hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2012 10:36:50 +0100
Subject: claim your winnings

IKOBO PROMO TEAM
1,ikobo Way P/H
rivers State,
Nigeria

Our Ref: IKG/NG/ICO: Your Ref:

DATE:07/04/2012

Out of 21 million email addresses,your email address was randomly picked
by our automatic computer selection, and we wish to inform you that
your$2,000,000.00 (two million USdollars) grant has been approved and
subsequently arranged on a special IKOBO MASTER CARD and sent to
PROCESSING / DELIVERY DEPARTMENT for release delivery to you,this is
always done in the first quater of the year.Failure to claim your winnings
before on the 13th April, 2012 will lead to your disqualification and
the funds will be returned to the organizers of this PROMO for future
edition of the Award.

YOUR PIN NUMBER IS : 3852 and the maximum withdrawal per day is $5,000
NOTE: insurance and delivery charges has all been paid by the IKOBO AWARD
TEAM, the only money you have to pay to them is the processing fee of $200
ONLY, so don't allow anybody to deceive you on that, we would have paid
for that but the fact that we don't have your full information means that
you have to provide the information to the dispatch center and ask them
how to send the processing fee of $200 to them, be aware that as soon as
the processing fee and your information has been send to them, your visa
card will be delivered to you through DHL COURIER which we have already
paid for.

If you are interested and wish to claim your funds contact the Director of
MASTER CARD Processing/dispatch center:

Mr William's Robert
EMAIL: ikobomteam@hotmail.com
phone number:+2347063669919

with the following details:

FULL NAME:, DELIVERY ADDRESS:, PHONE NUMBER:, COUNTRY:, OCCUPATION:, AGE:,
YOUR REFERENCE NUMBER IS: IK03NG2009 (very important)

please be informed that Mr William's Robert is the only accredited person to
make sure that your MASTER CARD gets to you therefore you don't have to
deal with any other person(s) or office (s) to avoid disqualification.

NOTE: YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO ACCEPT OR REJECT THIS AWARd. Your email
address has brought you this luck.

Best Regards

Mrs Elizabeth clare
Board Secretary, IKOBO PROMO
www.ikobo.com

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam