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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
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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:
  • "director of operations foreign remittance division" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "foreign remittance division" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• 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.
  • +22993012571 (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.
  • info.intercontientalplc35@yahoo.co.in (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • info.intercontientalbankplc2@yahoo.fr

Fraud email example:

From: david.ike@zipmail.com.br
Date: Sun, 2 Dec 2007 23:43:40 +0100
Subject: =?iso-8859-1?Q?=20=20=20RE=3AContact=20Office=20for=20your=20ATM=20MASTER=20CARD=20?=





THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
FOREIGN REMITTANCE DIVISION ATM
INTERCONTINENTAL BANK PLC BENIN
WEST AFRICA


My Dear ,

I have contacted my secretary to confirm if you have received the compensation
draft cheque of (US$1.8MILLION) which I issued in your name, but he told
me that he could not send it to you because of the courier charges. Now
I have called my bank to cancel any payment regards to the draft cheque
and then authorized them to transfer the payment into ATM CARD in your name
which they did.

As of now be informed that all charges has been paid and the ATM CARD is
going to be in your name, but to reactivate the ATM Card you have to forward
your current informations as requested below to the bank and the only money
you will pay to the bank is US$125 for the ATM Card Reactification fee,
then they will send you the ATM CARD for your immediate use.
Here are the informations you have to forward to the bank:
1. YOUR FULL NAMES:______
2. Postal ADDRESS:_______
3. PHONE NUMBER:_________
4. CELL NUMBERS:_________
5. EMAIL ADDRESS:________
6. SEX:__________________
7. AGE:__________________
8. OCCUPATION:___________
9. NATIONALITY:__________
A COPY OF YOUR PICTURE___
CONTACT PERSON: Dr.Thomas Akabike Robert
Director, ATM Foreign Operation Dept.
INTERCONTINENTAL Bank Cotonou, Benin Republic.
mobile:+ 229 930 125 71
Phone: + 229 977 247 17
Fax: + 229 23 787 601.
Email:info.intercontientalplc35@yahoo.co.in

Email:info.intercontientalbankplc2@yahoo.fr

Get back to me once you received the ATM CARD ok.

Thanks and God bless you.
Mr. David Ike.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam