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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)
  • "clearance certificate" (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. )
  • "hundred thousand united state dollars" (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)
  • "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
  • "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.
  • +22993461582 (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.
  • ups_deliverycompany20@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "augustine_john 123456" <123456_augustine_john@klikni.cz>
Date: Tue, 20 May 2008 10:00:35 +0200
Subject: CONTACT UPS DELIVERY COMPANY FOR YOUR FUNDS IMMEDIATELY


Dear Friend,

Greetings!
I have been waiting for you since to contact me for your Confirmable
Bank Draft worth of (usd $800.00)ONE MILLION TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED
STATE DOLLARS which my boss left with me before he travelled out,but I did
not hear from you since that time. Then with the help of a friend who is a
Bank manager I cashed the money and deposited it as a BOX containing African
clothes with UPS DELIVERY COMPANY COMPANY LIMITED, Cotonou, Benin
Republic.

What you have to do now is to contact the UPS DELIVERY COMPANY as soon as
possible to know when they will deliver your package to you. For your
information, I have paid for the delivering Charge, Insurance premium and
Clearance Certificate Fee of the package.

The only money you will send to the UPS DELIVERY Company to deliver your
funds direct to your postal Address in your country is ($98.00 US) NINE
EIGHT UNITED DOLLARS ONLY, being Security Keeping Fee of the Fedex Company
so far. 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 UPS DELIVERY SERVICE COMPANY now for the delivery of
your package with this information bellow;

Contact Person:Dr.Ugo Odili.
Telephone:+229 93461582
Email Address: ups_deliverycompany20@yahoo.fr

Finally, make sure that you reconfirm the following infomation to them again
to avoid any mistake on the Delivery and ask them to give you the tracking
number to enable you track your package over there and know when it will get
to your address.
The infomations are;

1.YOUR FULL NAME;
2.YOUR AGE;
3.HOUSE/OFFICE ADDRESS
4.HOUSE / OFFICE PHONE NUMBER
5.A COPY OF YOUR PICTURE FOR IDENTIFICATION
6.COUNTRY............

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 ($198.00) US Dollars for their immediate action.Do let me know
immediately you recieves your package.

Yours Faithfully,
MR STEPHEN DUFFIN

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam