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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:
  • "required fee " (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. )
  • "(ecowas)" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing 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.
  • +22993991875 (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.
  • atmpaymentoceanibank_006@yahoo.fr

Fraud email example:

From: "ebenizerwilliams01 Gazeta.pl" <ebenizerwilliams01@gazeta.pl>
Date: Sat, 24 May 2008 01:59:55 +0100
Subject: CONTACT OCEANIC BANK URGENT


Attention:Friend

Re: Immediate ATM DEBIT Cash Card Payment Notification
Your Name And Your Contact Details Was Given To This Office In Respect Of
Your Total inherited/Compensation Sum Owed To You Which You Have Failed To
Claim Because Of Either Non-Compliance Of Official Processes Or Because Of
Your Unbelief Of The Reality Of Your Genuine Payment.

We Wish To Bring To You The Solution To This Problem. Right Now we have
arranged Your Payment through Our Swift Card Payment Centre, That Is the
Latest Instruction from Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
This Card Centre Will Send to You an ATM DEBIT Card Which You Will Use to
withdraw Your Money in Any ATM Machine in Any Part of the World, So If You
Like to Receive Your Fund in This Way, Please Let Us Know by Contacting Us
Back.
And Also Send The Following Information As Listed Below.

1. Full Name.
2. Phone and Fax Number.
3. Address Were you want us to send the ATM Card To.
4. P.O Box Not Acceptable.
5. Your Age and Current Occupation.
6. Attach Copy Of Your Identification.

We have been mandated by the ECOWAS Parliament to Issue Out $850.000 US
Dollars in your favour This fiscal year 2008, Also for Your Information, You

Have to Stop Any Further Communication with Any Other Person (S) Or
Office(S)
To Avoid Any Hitches in Receiving Your Payment through your ATM card.
Note That Because Of Impostors, We Hereby Issued You Our Code Of Conduct,
Which Is (ATM-2116) So You Have To Indicate This Code When Contacting The
Card Centre By Using It As Your Subject. It will cost you only $195 for
shipment of the card to your doorstep. This cost includes insurance/ postage

of your ATM card.

AS SOON AS WE CONFIRM THE REQUIRED INFORMATION IN OUR BANK WE WILL DIRECT
YOU
ON HOW YOU ARE GOING TO SEND THE REQUIRED FEE FOR IMMEDIATE DESPATCH OF YOUR

ATM PAYMENT CARD? WE ARE GOING TO SEND TO YOU A SCAN COPY OF YOUR ATM CARD
Reply this email to our payment department of Oceanic Bank International
Plc,
Contact person: Dr. Philips Anthony +229 93-99-18-75
EMAIL: atmpaymentoceanibank_006@yahoo.fr

Thanks and good luck to you.
Secretary REV DR Ebenizer Williams

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam