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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:
  • "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)
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • +22993085658 (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.
  • apexcourierdelivering_compsarl@rocketmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: ugomasmith <dr_smith_ugoma@yp.com.hk>
Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:09:13 +0000
Subject: CONFIDENTIAL.


(HILL & COUNSELORS AT LAW)
06 BP 1409 AKPAKPA DODOMEY
COTONOU REPUBLIC OF BENIN.

Greetings to you & your Family.I have been waiting for you since to
contact me for your Confirmable Bank Draft of ($1.2m) United States
Dollars, but I did not hear from you since then ,Then I went and
deposited the Draft with Apex Courier Delievery Company ,Cotonou,Benin
Republic, before I travelled out of the country for a short Course and
i will not come back till the end of next Month.

What you have to do now is to contact the Apex Courier Delievery
Company as soon as possible to know when they will deliver your
package to you because of the expiring date.

For your information, I have paid for the delivering Charges.,The only
money you will send to the Courier & Security Company to deliver your
Draft direct to your postal Address in your country is ($98) only
being their Security Keeping Fee of the Courier Company so far

Again, do notbe deceive by anybody to pay any other money except
$98.00, 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 the Apex Courier Delievery Company now for the delivery of
your Draft with this information bellow. Apex Courier Delievery
Company Benin Republic.

E-mail: (apexcourierdelivering_compsarl@rocketmail.com )
Registration Reference No; wwdsc/xxx/100
Code Number:xxxdcsc/6847

Finally, make sure that you reconfirm your Postal address and Direct
telephone number to them again to avoid any mistake on the Delivery
and 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 $98 for their immediate action.You should also
Let me know through email as soon as you receive it.

Note. Apex courier delievery company do not know the contents of the
parcel.I registeredit as my photograph (pix) being sent to a friend
overseas. They do not know that it contains a Bank Draft of such a
huge amount of Money.This is to avoid them tempering with the parkage.
Do not let them know the contents.i am waiting to hear from you.

Best Regards

Dr Peter Ugo

+229 9308 5658

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam