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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.

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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:
  • "diplomatic courier" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
  • "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
• This email message is a "New Partner from Paraguay" 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.
  • +22993892655 (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.
  • fedexdipcompany@sify.com

Fraud email example:

From: "Dr James Dafu" <drjamesdafu4@gala.net>
Date: Wed, 9 Jul 2008 11:02:34 +0100
Subject: MAKE SURE YOU CONTACT THE COMPANY IMMEDIATELY FOR YOUR PARCEL.


Complement of the Day,



I have been waiting for you since to contact me for your Confirmable Bank
Draft of $950,000.00 United States Dollars, but I did not hear from you
since for a couple of weeks now.Then I went to the bank to confirm if the
draft has expired or getting near to expire and Mr.James Adams the Director
Bank of Africa told me that before the draft will get to your hand that it
will expire.So I told him to cash the $950,000.00 USD UNITED STATES DOLLARS
to cash payment to avoid losing this funds under expiration as I will be out
of the country for a 3 Months Course and I will not come back till ending of
August 2008.

What you have to do now is to contact FEDEX COURIER SERVICES as soon as
possible to know when they will deliver your Consignment to you because of
the expirydate.For your information, I have paid for the delivering Charge,
Insurance premium.The only money you will send to the FEDEX COURIER SERVICES
to deliver your Consignment direct to your postal Address in your country is
($298.00 US) Two Hundred and Ninety Eighty United States Dollars only being
Security Keeping Fee of the Courier Company so far.

Again, don't be deceived by anybody to pay any other money except $298 US
Dollars. I would have paid that but they said no because they don't know
when you will contact them and in case of demurrage.You have to contact
FEDEX COURIER SERVICES now for the delivery of your Draft with this
information bellow;

Directors Name: DR MICHAEL RAY
Companys Name: FEDEX DIPLOMATIC COURIER COMPANY
Telephone....... +229-938-926-55
Email Address: ( fedexdipcompany@sify.com )

Finally, make sure that you reconfirm the bellow information to them:

YOUR FULL NAME AND POSTAL ADDRESS:
YOUR DIRECT TELEPHONE NUMBER:
YOUR OCCUPATION:
YOUR AGE AND SEX:

this to avoid any mistake on the Delivery and ask them to keep you updated
on the arrival of your consignment and know when it will get to your
address. Let me repeat again, try to contact them as soon as you receive
this mail to avoid any further delay and remember to pay them their Security
Keeping fee of $298.00 US Dollars for their immediate action.

Note this. The FEDEX COURIER SERVICES don't know the contents of the Box.I
registered it as a "family valuable/Treasury".. They did not know the
contents was money. this is to avoid them delaying with the BOX. Don't let
them know that the box contents money please.


Yours faithfully,
Dr James Dafu.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam