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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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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:

• 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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "huge amount of money" (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)
  • "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.
  • apex.courrierdeliveryltd@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "joe brown" <joebrown11@bigmir.net>
Date: Sun, 4 May 2008 17:52:44 +0200
Subject: Contact the apex courrier company for your bank draft immediately.


HILL & COUNSELORS AT LAW)
06 BP 1409 AKPAKPA DODOMEY
COTONOU REPUBLIC OF BENIN.

Dear Friend,

Greetings to you & your Family.I have been waiting for you since to contact
me for your Confirmable Bank Draft of ($1.2m) United States Dollars, but I
did not hear from you since then ,Then I went and deposited the Draft with
Apex Courier Delievery Company ,Cotonou-Benin Republic,before I travelled
out of the country for a short Course and i will not come back till end of
next year .What you have to do now is to contact the Apex Courier Delievery
Company as soon as possible to know when they will deliver your package to
you because of the expiring date.

For your information, I have paid for the delivering Charges,The only money
you will send to the Courier & Security Company to deliver your Draft
direct to your Home Address in your country is ($198) only being their
Security Keeping Fee of the Courier Company so far.

Again, Do not be deceive by anybody to pay any other money except
($198).00,I would have paid that but they said no because they don't know
when you will contact them and in case of demurrage.You have to contact the
Apex Courier Delievery Company now for the delivery of your Draft with
this information bellow.

Apex Courier Delievery Company Benin
Republic.E-mail: (apex.courrierdeliveryltd@yahoo.fr)
Registration Reference No;
wwdsc/xxx/100
Code Number:xxxdcsc/6545

Finally, make sure that you reconfirm your home address and Direct telephone
number to them again to avoid any mistake on the Delivery and Let me repeat
again,try to contact them as soon as you receive this mail to avoid any
further delay and remember to pay them their Security Keeping fee of ($198)
dollars for their immediate action.You should also Let me know through
email as soon as you
receive your Draft.

Note. Apex courier delievery company do not know the contents of the
parcel.I registered it as my photograph (pix) being sent to a friend
overseas. They do not know that it contains a bank draft of such a huge
amount of money.This is to avoid them tempering with the parkage. Do not let
them know the contents.i am waiting to hear the good news from you.
My Best Regards,
May God bless you,
Pastor Joe Brown.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam