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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:

• 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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "hundred thousand united states dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • ",500,000" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "very confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "offshore account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
• 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.
  • +22993963535 (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.
  • engpaulkukoyi@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Paul Kukoyi" <paulkukoyi@gala.net>
Date: Tue, 8 Jul 2008 11:49:23 +0100
Subject: URGENT BUSINESS PROPOSAL.


*URGENT BUSINESS PROPOSAL.*

*Dear Friend,
It is my great pleasure in writing you this letter on behalf of my
colleagues.Your *

*particulars were given to me by a member of the Benin Rebuplic Export *

*Promotion Council (B.E.P.C) who was with the federal government delegation
to *

*your country during a trade exhibition. I have decided to seek a
confidential *

*co-operation with you in the execution of the deal described here under,for
the *

*benefit of all parties and hope you will keep it as top secret,because of
the nature *

*of this business.
I am ENGR. PAUL KUKOYI,Director Of Project Implementation, Benin Department
*

*of Minerals & Energy I am making this contact with you, based on the *

*committee's need for an individual/company who is willing to assist us in
the *

*execution of this business. Within the Department of Minerals & Energy,
where I *

*work as a Director of the Project Implementation and with the good
co-operation of *

*Four other top officials, we have in our possession as over due payment
bills, *

*totaling Thirty-Four Million,Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars *

*(US$34,500,000) Which we want to transfer abroad with the assistance and *

*Co-operation of A Foreign Company/individual to receive the said funds on
our *

*behalf. More so, we are handicap in these circumstances, as the
Benin-Republic *

*Civil Services code of conduct does not allow us to operate an offshore
account. *

*Hence your importance in this transaction.
This amount $34.5Million represents the balance of the total contract value
*

*executed on behalf of my ministry by a Foreign Contracting Firm, which we
the *

*Officials over invoiced deliberately. Though the actual contract cost has
been *

*paid to the original contractor, leaving the balance in the tune of the
said amount, *

*which we have in principles gotten approval to remit by Key Tested
Telegraphic *

*Transfer (K.T.T) to any Foreign Bank Account you will provide by filing an
*

*Application through the Ministry Of Justice here in Benin, for the transfer
of rights *

*and privileges of the former contractor to you.
I have the Authority of my partners involved to propose that you should be
willing *

*to assist us in this transaction, your share of the sum is 30% of the
$34.5Million, *

*60% for us and 5% for taxation and miscellaneous expenses and remaining 5%
*

*will be for charity organization.The transaction it
self is 100% safe on your part,provided you treats it with utmost secrecy
and *

*confidentiality. Also, your area of specialization is not a hindrance to
the *

*successful execution of this transaction. I have reposed my confidence in
you *

*and hope that you will not disappoint me. I want to assure you that my
partners*

*and myself are in the position to make the payment of this claim possible,
*

*provided that you can give us a very strong assurance and guarantee that
the *

*funds will be secured,and please remember to treat this matter very
confidential, *

*because we will not comprehend with any form
of exposure as we are still in active Government service. Please, reply me
on my *

*confidential email address: **engpaulkukoyi@yahoo.fr*<engpaulkukoyi@yahoo.fr>
* or call directly to my *

*mobile-Tel: +229 93 963 535.
Once again, remember that time is of great essence in this transaction . I
wait in *

*anticipation of your fullest co-operation.
Thank you for your co-operation.
Yours Faithfully, *

*ENGR. PAUL KUKOYI.*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam