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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:
  • "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.
  • +22993890522 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "CHRIST ALAN" <christ_alan5@ig.com.br>
Date: Tue, 17 Jun 2008 20:08:58 +0200
Subject: CONTACT FEDEX COURIER COMPANY FOR YOUR PACKAGE


Good day!

I have been waiting for you since to contact me for your Confirmable Bank
Draft of US$1.250.000,00 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 US$1.250.000,00 UNITED STATES DOLLARS
to cash payment to avoid losing this funds under expiration as I will be
out of the country for a 3 Months Course and I will not come back till
end of August 2008.

What you have to do now is to contact the FEDEX COURIER COMPANY as soon as
possible to know when they will deliver your package to you because of the
expiring date.For your information, I have paid the delivering Charge
which you sent, i have paid all the fee for the needed papers and i also
paid the Insurance premium which i will be sending the copy as soon as
possible.

The only money you will send to the Courier Company to deliver your
Consignment direct to your postal Address in your country is ($175.00)
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 $175.00 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 FEDEX
COURIER SERVICE now for the delivery of your Draft with this information
bellow;

Contact Person: Dr. Johnbosco Emegini
Email Address: fedexcourierservice02@live.fr
Tel: +229-9389-0522
Fax:+229-9890-1413

Finally, make sure that you re-confirm 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 $175.00 US
Dollars for their immediate action to deliver to you. Note this. The FEDEX
COURIER SERVICE company don't know the contents of the Box. I registered
it as a BOX of family values. 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. Christ Alan.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam