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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:
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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:

• 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:
  • "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "may come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin 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.
  • +22993232436 (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.
  • leonardwilson@hotmail.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Leonard Wilson" <leonardwilson5@gala.net>
Reply-To: leonardwilson@hotmail.fr
Date: Fri, 4 Jul 2008 20:12:01 +0200
Subject: Greetings,


Greetings,

I pray that this email reaches you in the best of health. In this good Year,
I present my best wishes to you and your family with blessings, goodness and
mercy. This letter may come to you as a surprise due to the fact that we
have not yet met. The
message could be strange but it's real if you pay some attention to it. I
want to notify you about it at least for the sake of your integrity.
In a brief introduction, I am Leonard Wilson, the Director of Operation with
Financial Bank Benin. I have a very interesting transaction to discuss with
you.
The business under discussion has to do with our late Customer who is a
nationality of your country and was employed as a Consultant with (SONACOP)
oil Company in Cotonou Republic of Benin. I managed to get your contact
details through the Internet search because time is of importance to it and
I am desperately looking for a person to assist me pull this money out from
the bank before our corrupt government officials will confiscate the money
and use it for their selfish interest.

On Thursday, December 25, 2003, our late customer and his wife including
their only daughter were involved in Air-Crash near the Atlantic Ocean in
Cotonou suburb. (May their gentle soul rest in peace)a

Since then I have made several inquiries to the Embassy in a bid to locate
any relation of the deceased customer, All attempts to reach the next of kin
to the deceased has been futile as he had no family here in Benin Republic.
Hence my decision to contact you, I want you and I to go into partnership,
the nature of your business is completely irrelevant to this transaction as
all I need from you is an assurance that my interest will be fully protected
once the funds is transferred to your account.The late customer made a
numbered time (fixed) deposited for twelve calendar and his account with our
Bank accrues to about (Three Million, Five hundred and Fifty- Two Thousand
US Dollars) (USDM3.552,000.00), According to the Benin Law, at the
expiration of (Five years) the money will revert to the ownership of the
Benin government if nobody applies to claim the funds.

I have used my position here in the bank as the Director of Operation to
transfer the total funds into a separate account and instructed the foreign
remittance department to release the funds as soon as any of his relative
applies for the claim.

My proposal is, I will like you as a foreigner to apply as the next of kin
to the late customer so that the fruits of this old man's labour will not
get into the hands of some corrupt government officials who will later use
the money to sponsor war in Africa and kill innocent citizens in the search
for political power/seat.
Note that there will be no problem at all, my position as the Director of
Operation guarantees the successful execution of this transaction within 7
Banking days and the money will be transferred into your account, then I
will come over to your country for us to share in the ratio of 40% for you
and 60% for me. This is very simple, I will like you to reply immediately so
that I can send you the Text of application which you will apply to the bank
as the next of kin to Late Customer and I will use my good position in the
bank as the Director of Operation to make sure that the application is
approved for immediate payment into your account.
You should reply as soon as possible at my private emailbox
leonardwilson@hotmail.fr and send me your private phone, or mobile numbers
for easier correspondence. You can call me at +22993-232436
I look forward to hearing from you
Best Regards.
Leonard Wilson.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam