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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:
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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:
  • "insurance fee " (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. )
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • fedexccltd1996@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "edwin_williams31 Gazeta.pl" <edwin_williams31@gazeta.pl>
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2008 20:13:07 +0200
Subject: Contact FedEx Company For Your Package


Attention Dear,

I have Paid for the delivery fee of your Cheque Draft.but the manager of Eco
Bank Benin told me that before the cheque will get to you it will expire.So
i told him to cash $850,000.00 all the necessary arrangement of delivering
the $850,000.00 in cash was made with Fedex Delivery Service Benin Rep

Be inform that there are some documents to be secured.The only fee you have
to send to them is $100 usd which will serve as the insurance fee and claims
of affadvite to enable them deliver the parcel to you immediately. Do
contact them and let me know when you have recieve your fund,

below is the needed information to enable them deliver your fund to you
immediately.

FEDEX SERVICE COMPANY PLC
DIRECTOR. ANTHONY ROBERT
Telephone==+229 -970-26760
EMAIL=== ( fedexccltd1996@gmail.com)
1.YOUR FULL NAME
2.YOUR HOME ADDRESS.
3.YOUR CURRENT HOME TELEPHONE NUMBER.
4.A COPY OF YOUR PICTURE
5.CURRENT MAILING ADDRESS

Try to contact them as soon as possible .I gave them your delivering address
but you have to reconfirm it to them again to avoid any mistake in the
delivering including with your ID or Picture.and remember not to let the
delivery company know that the contents of the package to avoid them delay
your package .do not let them knows that the package contains $850.000.00
usd.

Do let me know immediately you receive your consignment that consist Our
fund that i deposited in the (FedEx) courier company so that we can share
the joy together.

Best Regards
Barrister Edwin Williams

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam