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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:
  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)
  • "atm payment department" (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. )
  • "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• 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.
  • +22993063443 (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.
  • atmcarddepatment01@yahoo.fr

Fraud email example:

From: "LEO IKE" <leo_ike51@ig.com.br>
Date: Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:24:08 +0200
Subject: FORWARD THE ABOVE INFORMATIONS TO THE DIRECTOR OK?


Dear Friend,
This is to inform you about my success in transferingyour money into an ATM
master card to curtail the risk of carrying hugeamount of money arround.We
are the peole that coded this amount of moneyin the card and we are going to
tell you how to make use of it.Presentlyi'm out of the coutry for investing
my own part of the total money .Meanwhile,i didn't forget your past efforts
and attempts to assist me inmoving the cash despite that both of us could
not make it.Now contactATM PAYMENT DEPARTMENT and their email addressis(
atmcarddepatment01@yahoo.fr) ask them to send you the sum ofeight hundred
and fifty thousand us dollars ( $850.000.00) in an ATMMASTER CARD which i
kept for your compensation for all the past effortsand attempts to assist me
in this matter.this card centre will send youan ATM card which you will use
to withdraw your money in any ATM machinein any par t of the wor ld, the
maximum is Five Thousand United StateDollars per day. I appreciated
your efforts at that time very much,Sofeel free and get in touched with the
ATM PAYMENT DEPARTMENT andinstruct them on where to send your total share of
the money to you.Therefore do not hesitate to contact Oceanic Bank Benin ATM
paymentdepartment centre and also re-confirm the following information
aslisted below:
1. Full Name
2. Address were you want them to send theATM card
3. Phone number (private)
4. Your age and currentoccupation
5. Country Name and Code Forward the above inforamation to:
Dr.Frank Christopher,Director, ATM payment department Oceanic Bank
Benin Republic. Direct line:+229-93-06-34-43,
Emails:(atmcarddepatment01@yahoo.fr)
Please do let me knowimmediately you receive it so that we can share the joy
together afterall the sufferness at that time. In the moment,i am very busy
hereinvesting with my new partner.Remember that you are going to pay
areactivation fee,it is for the reactivation of your card against it'sexpiry
before the delivery is made.The reason for the reactivation feeis that the
account has been there for a long time while the governmentwas doing serious
investigations on the right owner of the money beforethis conclusion was
made.
Finally, I have forwarded instructions tothe DEPARTMENT to send the
Confirmable ATM MASTER CARD to you, so feelfree to get in touch with the
DEPARTMENTand they will send the CARD toyou without any delay. DO FAST AND
CONTACT THEM IMMEDIATELY OK?
BestRegards,
Barr.Leo David Owen

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam