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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "waiting for your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
• This email message is a "New Partner from Paraguay" scam.
• 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.
  • +22997626788 (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.
  • dhl_courier_plc@yahoo.fr

Fraud email example:

From: "WILLIAMS PETER" <williamspeter48@ig.com.br>
Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2008 12:25:59 +0100
Subject: I HAVE RESGISTER IT WITH DHL


Dear

I have been waiting for you since to contact me for your Confirmable Bank
Draft of $1.2ml United States Dollars, but I did not hear from you since
that time. Then I went to the bank to confirm if the draft has expired or
getting near to expire and Mr. Justin Yayi the Director Bank of Africa told
me that before the draft will get to your hand that it will expire.
So I told him to cash the $1.2ml USD UNITED STATES DOLLARS to cash payment
to avoid losing this funds under expiration as I will be out out of the
country for a 3 Months Course and I will not come back till end of march
2008.

What you have to do now is to contact the DHL COURIER COMPANY as soon as
possible to know when they will deliver your package to you because of the
expiring time.For your information, I have paid for the delivering
Charge,Insurance premium.

The only money you will send to the Courier Company to deliver your
Consignment direct to your postal Address in your country is ($185.00 US)
One Hundred & Five United States Dollars only being Security Keeping Fee of
the Courier Company so far.Again, don't be deceived by anybody to pay any
other money except $185.00 US Dollars.

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 DHL
COURIER COMPANY Director now for the delivery of your cash with this
personal information bellow;

Contact Person: Dr. ROBERT SCOTT
Email Address: (dhl_courier_plc@yahoo.fr)
Tel/FAX: +229 9762 6788

Finally, make sure that you reconfirm your Postal address and Direct
telephone number 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. 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 $155.00 US Dollars for
their immediate action.

Note this. The DHL COURIER SERVICE company don't know the contents of the
Box. I registered it as a BOX of Africa cloths. They did not know the
contents was money. this is to avoid them delaying with the BOX. Don't let
them know that box contents money ok. I am waiting for your urgent response.

Yours Faithfully,

MR williams peter

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam