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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "express courier delivery" (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 ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "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 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.
  • +22993232970 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "john hill" <hilljhn@mailbox.hu>
Date: Mon, 19 May 2008 12:58:12 +0200
Subject: CONTACT ROYAL EXPRESS COURIER DELIVERY COMPANY COMPANY FOR THE DELIVERY OF YOUR BANK DRAFT!


(JOHN& COUNSELORS AT LAW)
25A HIGH LEVEL AVENUE KEREKOU
COTONOU REPUBLIC OF BENIN.

My dear Friend,

How are you doing ? I have been waiting for you since to come down here and
pick up your $950,000.00 Bank Draft but I did not heard from you since that
time. Then I went and deposited the Draft with Courier Security Company here
in Benin Republic, because I travelled to Iraq to see my boss and will not
come back till next month end. I want You to contact the Courier Company to
know when they will deliver your package bank draft to you.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 $96.00 Us Dollars to received
your package don't be deceived by any body.

This is their Contact Address
Hon.Adams Odiriga.
Director of the Royal Express
courier delivery company
Benin Republic.
Phone number +22993232970
E-mail-(royalexpresscourierservice@live.fr)

Also this is the registraion number which I used to register your check bank
draft with the royal courier delivery company.
Registraion number................RCDC45012 EM
Identification number..............CPEL/OWN /9877
This is for easy identification of your package bank draft.

Try to contact them as soon as possible to avoid increasing the security
keeping fee and also give them your contact delivering address to avoid any
mistake on the delivering. Let me know immediately you receive your Draft.

Thanks.
Barr.John Hill.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam