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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)
  • "from the desk of" (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 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.
  • +22997842845 (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.
  • email_contact@sify.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "info mail" <mail.info@klikni.cz>
Date: Sun, 25 May 2008 18:06:47 +0200
Subject: Dear Friend,


Cotonou Benin Republic
FROM THE DESK OF:
MR JOHN ROLAND

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 untill three
months.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.

Foryour 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 postal Addr ess in your country is ($110) 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 $98.00,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

Name Alhaji Umar Garba
EMAIL :email_contact@sify.com
Phone 00229 97842845

Finally, make sure that you reconfirm your Postal 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 $110) 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 know the contents.i am waiting to hear the good news from you.

Regards,
Dr John Roland

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam