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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:
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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:
  • "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "inland revenue" (Tax offices mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. Even after you pay their fake tax demands you will still not receive the non-existent funds you have been promised. )
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• This email message is a fake lottery scam. Consider the following facts about real lotteries:
  
  1. They don't notify winners by email.
  2. You can't win without first buying a lottery ticket.
  3. They don't randomly select email addresses to award prizes to.
  4. They don't use free email accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc) to communicate with you.
  5. They don't tell you to call a mobile phone number.
  6. They don't tell you to keep your winnings secret.
  7. They will never ask a winner to pay any fees to receive a prize!
• Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
• MoneyGram money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. Along with Western Union it is a preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
• 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.
  • +447045749850 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • icsworldwide@bigfoot.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "ICS ICS" <icsworldwide@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 4 Aug 2008 05:58:54 -0700
Subject: PROCEED WITH DELIVERY REQUIREMENT

*INTERNATIONAL COURIER SYSTEM LTD. (I.C.S.)
Cargo Area, Jersey , JE3 7BY , UK
London , Heathrow**
Mr. Thomas Combs*
*Phone: +44-704-574-9850
Fax: +44-7005-921-350*
*E-mail: icsworldwide@bigfoot.com**

Dear Jan Meerwijk,*
*
This is to inform you that we are in possession of the parcel that is to be
delivered to you. You are required to re-confirm your address and an
alternative mailing address to enable us dispatch and deliver your parcel
immediately. Note that we do not deliver parcels to P. O. Box address or
street corners but to your residential address or your bank. It is the usual
practice of our organization to conduct a proper verification of all parcels
to ensure that they are valid. Is rest assured that your parcel has been
verified and confirmed valid by the Brttish Gamming Board, Heathrow Airport
.


We are a well established company offering courier and transport services
24 hour a day for priority delivery of letters, parcels and consignments to
any destination by road, air or sea. We have a substantial team of couriers
available for motorcycle dispatch plus van driver couriers in all size
vehicles from small vans up to 7.5 tone and international couriers for
dispatch by road, sea or air. The Below Order / Reference number DFUE 908
7723 is not a tracking number; it is your parcel ID number. Invoice and
tracking number will only be issued and sent to you after clearance and
payment for delivery.


Order / Reference number DFUE 908 7723: (This is not a tracking number).

Description of parcel:

An original Winning certificate of weight: --------------0.8kg
A Certified Cheque of weight:---------0.5
Insurance policy payment receipt of weight: -------- ----------0.7kg
Total weight of parcel: -------------------------------------------0.20kg
Colour of Parcel:
------------------------------------------------------White Envelope.




Below are the mandatory Inland Revenue Tax, Insurance and administrative
charges that you required to pay to enable us deliver your parcel to you.
You are allowed to choose just one of our three specified delivery
arrangements.

DHL WORLD WIDE EXPRESS, STATUS OF DELIVERY ONE,
____________________________________________________________

Courier charges
Administrative
Insurance
Inland Revenue Tax
Length of days (Express)
____________________________________________________________
TOTAL £739.96 GB Pounds
_________________________________________________________________________
UPS COURIER SERVICES, STATUS OF DELIVERY TWO,
____________________________
Courier charges
Administrative
DInsurance
Inland Revenue Tax
Length of days ----(Express)
______________________________
TOTAL £628 GB Pounds
____________________________________________________________
FEDEX COURIER SERVICES, STATUS OF DELIVERY THREE
______________________________

Courier charges
Administrative
Insurance
Inland Revenue Tax
Length of days...Special over Night Delivery (Express)
___________________________
TOTAL £600 GB Pounds
__________________________________________________________________________
EMS COURIER SERVICES, STATUS OF DELIVERY FOUR
____________________________________________________________

Courier charges
Administrative
Insurance
Inland Revenue Tax
Length of days...Special over Night Delivery (Express)
________________�___________________________________________
TOTAL £520 GB Pounds
____________________________________________________________
The charges are a little high because of the insurance cover we have
undertaken in case of loss, damage or theft of your highly sensitive
document. We assume all responsibilities in case of any eventualities. We do
understand what it looks like to be asked to pay an upfront charge for the
delivery of a prize won online without the purchase of any ticket, but we
also believe you will understand that these days most delivery firm rarely
practice Cash on Delivery (COD) for most especially the Delivery of a check,
Credit Cards etc.

We had a meeting concerning the delivery charges and it was concluded that
all the above delivery firms (DHL, UPS, FEDEX and EMS ) should provide their
quotations for the delivery of this prize check, which they did above for a
2-3 days delivery.

Not to waste much of your time, choose one of the delivery options and
proceed to the nearest "MONEY GRAM "or WESTERN UNION office close to you and
send the payments to your assigned account officer as he will be in charge
of all that is needed. We prefer MoneyGram wire transfer because their
transfer charges are far cheaper, as it was confirmed that WESTERN UNION has
been the means of funds transfer by scammers and fraud stars, so we have
decided not to use them for any further transactions but if you feel like
using them then feel free to use them. As you may know the UK Gamming Board
has only given you 7days to conclude claims or forfeit these prize so there
wont be any wasted time at all. Do effect the payment for any option of your
choice above to:

NAME: GABRIEL C. HAMMER II
ADDRESS: # 199 Gabby Duke Avenue .
Central London . NR21 8PH.

You are to send a copy of the transfer slip. Just send the following
information via email as they appear on the Money Gram Or Western Union
wire transfer slip:


1. Sender's Full Name:
2. Sender's Address:
3. Amount sent
4. Control number (MTCN)

You are to send a copy of the evidence of payment only to this office both
by fax and by email. Invoice of the above payment will be issued to you as
soon as payment is confirmed. As soon as we receive confirmation and
evidence of payment of the above charges, we will dispatch your parcel
immediately. The date and time of departure and expected date of delivery
will be sent to you. You will be required to sign for the parcel with any
valid ID. All orders not delivered within three (3) working days from this
communication will be returned to the Lottery House. Please ensure that you
confirm your delivery address. We are glad to be of service to you.

NB: We will not entertain any insults from you, if you are not interested in
your claims then ignore this message. Still there will be no Cash on
Delivery (COD).



*
*INTERNATIONAL COURIER SYSTEM LTD. (I.C.S.)
Cargo Area, Jersey , JE3 7BY , UK
London , Heathrow**
Mr. Thomas Combs*
*Phone: +44-704-574-9850
Fax: +44-7005-921-350*
*

PLEASE NOTE: DO CHOOSE ONE OF THE DELIVERIES (STATUS) THAT WILL BE
CONVENIENT AND AFFORDABLE FOR YOU.
===============================
This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential and may be
legally privileged and are solely for the individual or entity to which they
are 'ddressed no third parties. If you have received this e-mail in error
please delete this message and any attachment files received, or contact "
I.C.S. Ltd. All business is transacted under our Standard Trading Terms and
Conditions a copy of which is available upon request. E & O All liability
for viruses is excluded to the fullest extent permitted by law.*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam