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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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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.

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

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "diplomatic courier" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • expresdiplomcourie@yahoo.fr

Fraud email example:

From: johnmark4@freenet.de
Date: Tue, 01 Apr 2008 17:39:10 +0200
Subject: Contact the courier company for your package


My Dear,
Happy New Year.I have been waiting for you since regarding
your Cashier Bank Draft worth USD$1.5Million before I leave Cotonou
Benin Republic but you did not show face and I did not heard from you
since that time,then I went and deposited the Draft with EXPRESS
SECURITY & DIPLOMATIC COURIER COMPANY there in my country Benin
Republic.

Please for your informations,I travelled to Japan to see my
boss as he instructed me and will not come back till next month end,
Please You have to contact the EXPRESS Security & Diplomatic Courier
Company to know when they will deliver your package to you there in your
country,I have paid for the delivering charges and insurance fee.

The
only money you have to send to them is their security keeping fee which
is $95.00 Us Dollars to received your package I agreed with them that
you will pay the $95.00 Don\'t be deceived by any body because I paid
for the delivery fee before they accepted the Cashier Bank draft and was
told that after one week you will pay the Security keeping fee which is
only $95.00.Contact the DIRECTOR OF THE COMPANY with the informations
below:

Attn:Dr.Erick Akone
Address:BP 2005 Ste Ceceile Ave,
Cotonou
Republic Du Benin.
TEL:+22997395975
EMAIL:expresdiplomcourie@yahoo.fr

Try to contact them as soon as possible to avoid increasing the
security keeping fee.I gave them your delivering address but you have to
reconfirm it to them again to avoid any mistake in the delivering. Let
me know as soon as you receive your Cashier Bank Draft,And I am very
sorry for any inconvinence this might have caused you but remember that
it was\'nt my fault because I waited for you to come down before I was
called by my Director, The amount you have to send to them is $95.00
only.

Regards,
Sir John Mark
Secretary

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam