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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.

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:
  • "atm payment department" (this phrase is often used in the ATM card payment scam)
  • "card center will send you an atm card" (this phrase is often used in the ATM card payment scam)
  • "activation 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. )
  • "huge amount of money" (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)
  • "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
• 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.
  • +22997046911 (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.
  • oceanicbank_atm_benin_plc23@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "emeka emeka" <jackemeka12@e-mail.ua>
Date: Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:33:14 +0300
Subject: CONTACT ATM PAYMENT CENTER


*

Greetings Dear Beloved Friend,

I want to inform you about my success in transferring your money into an ATM
master card to curtail the risk of carrying huge amount of money around. The
total amount has been coded into ATM master card; please contact the Bank
ATM payment center for more instruction on how to make use of the ATM card
to withdraw your money in any ATM machine around the globe. I will be
traveling to CHINA for business project with my own share of the total
money.

Meanwhile, I didn't forget your past efforts and attempts to assist me
in transferring the fund despite that it failed us some how. Now you can
contact the ATM PAYMENT DEPARTMENT of ECOBANK BANK BENIN on this email (**
oceanicbank_atm_benin_plc23@yahoo.com*<http://us.mc621.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=oceanicbank_atm_benin_plc23@yahoo.com>)
they will send you the sum of Two Million Five Hundred United State
Dollars ($2.500, 000.00) which is your own share for all the sufferings at
that time.

That is compensation for all your past efforts I really appreciated your
consistency at that time. This card center will send you an ATM card which
you will use to withdraw your money in any ATM machine around the world, the
maximum withdrawal is Ten Thousand United State Dollars per day. Feel free
to get in touch with the ATM PAYMENT DEPARTMENT and give them direction on
where to send the ATM card to you, the only thing they will request from you
is the activation fee of $99.99, so contact them right away, I appreciated
your efforts at that time very much.

Do not hesitate to contact the ECOBANK Benin ATM payment department center
and also re-confirm the following information to them as listed below:

1. Full Name........................
2. Current Address..................
3. Phone Number.....................
4. A Copy of your identity..........
5. Your Nationality.................


Forward the above information to Prof. Michael Kohn, the head department
officer of ATM payment center ECOBANK Bank Benin Republic. Phone:
+229-9704-6911,
Email :(*oceanicbank_atm_benin_plc23@yahoo.com*<http://us.mc621.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=oceanicbank_atm_benin_plc23@yahoo.com>)

Please do let me know immediately you receive the ATM card so that we can
share the joy together after all the sufferings at that time. I will be very
busy in CHINA for the project am going to have there with my partner. So
contact the ATM center with out delay, they will give you more details of
the ATM service.

Finally, be informed that I left instructions to the DEPARTMENT to send the
ATM MASTER CARD to you, so feel free to get in touch with the DEPARTMENT and
they will send the CARD to you with out any delay.
Best Regards,.MR, JACK.EMEKA
*


*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam