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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
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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:

• 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:
  • "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 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.
  • feddexcourier@hotmail.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "niang4 Gazeta.pl" <niang4@gazeta.pl>
Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2008 18:09:26 +0000
Subject: Contact Fedex Courier Company:


Greetings Dear Good Friend,

I have been waiting for you since to contact me for your Confirmable Bank
Draft of $850,000.00 United States Dollars only, but I did not hear from you
since that time, so I went and deposited the Draft with FEDEX COURIER
COMPANY, Cotonou, Benin Republic before I travelled out of the country for a
5 Months Course and I will not come back till end of NOVEMBER 2008.

However, all you have to do now is to contact the, FEDEX COURIER COMPANY as
soon as possible and instruct them for the delivering of your package to you
because of the expiring date, for your information, I have paid for the
delivering Charge, Insurance premium Fee of the funds. The only money you
will send to the Courier Company to deliver your Draft direct to your postal
Address in your country is ($205.00) 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 $205.00 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, therefore kindly
contact the FEDEX COURIER COMPANY now for the delivery of your Draft with
this information bellow;

Contact Person: Dr. Jamiu Barto
EMAIL: feddexcourier@hotmail.fr
Tel/Fax: (00229) 930-76-199.

Finally, make sure that you re-confirm your Postal address and Direct
telephone number to them to avoid any mistake/complication on the Delivery.
Let me repeat again, try to contact them as soon as you receive this mail
to avoid any further delay and immediate action. You should also let me
know through email as soon as you receive your Draft.

Yours Faithfully,
Mr. Djbri Niang.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam