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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
  (+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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "clearance certificate" (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. )
  • "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
  • "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.
  • +22993235544 (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.
  • info_fedx_deliverycomp5@yahoo.es

Fraud email example:

From: "goodluckjonsin40 Gazeta.pl" <goodluckjonsin40@gazeta.pl>
Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 15:51:30 +0200
Subject: CONTACT FedEx EXPRESS COURIER DELIVERY COMPANY IMMDIATELY


paulDear Friend,

Greetings!

I have been waiting for you since to contact me for your
Confirmable Bank Draft worth of (usd $1.650.000.00)ONE MILLION SIX HUNDRED
AND
FIFTY THOUSAND UNITED STATE DOLLARS which my boss left with me before he
travelled out,but I did not hear from you since that time.Then with
the help of a friend who is a Bank manager I cashed the money and
deposited it as a BOX containing African clothes with FEDEX COURIER COMPANY
LIMITED, Cotonou, Benin Republic.

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. For
your information, I have paid for the delivering Charge, Insurance
premium and Clearance Certificate Fee of the package.
The only money you will send to the Courier & Security Company to
deliver your package direct to your postal Address in your country

is($105.00 US) HUNDRED AND 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 $105.00 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

COMPANY now for the delivery of your package with this information bellow;
Contact Person:Dr.Chidinma uche.
Telephone:+229 93 23 55 44
Email Address: info_fedx_deliverycomp5@yahoo.es
Finally, make sure that you reconfirm the following infomation 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.
The infomations are;

(1.)YOUR FULL NAME...................................................
(2.)YOUR CURRENT HOME MAILING ADDRESS.............
(3.)YOUR HOME TELEPHONE NUMBER.........................
(4.)YOUR CURRENT MOBILE PHONE.............................
(5.)A COPY OF YOUR PICTURE FOR
IDENTIFICATION...............................
(6.)AGE.......................................................................
(7.)SEX.......................................................................
(8.)YOUR OCCUPACTION..............................................

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 $105.00 US Dollars for their immediate action.Do let me
know immediately you recieves your package.
Yours Faithfully,
Mr.Goodluck Jonsin

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam