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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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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "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. )
  • "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.
  • +22993111065 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: thomas.guettler@freenet.de
Date: Sat, 09 Aug 2008 12:19:13 +0200
Subject: ZENITH BANK INTERNATIONAL


ZENITH BANK INTERNATIONAL
Zenith Heights
Plot87 Ajose Adeogun
Street,
COTONOU BENINREP

ATTN, PAYMENT NOTIFICATION
This is tobring to
your notice that, I have paid the re-activation feeand the delivery of
your ATM.I paid it because the ATMCard8119$1.5m,has less three days to
expire and when itexpires,the money will go into Government purse.With
that Idecided to help you pay the money so that,the ATM will
notexpire,because I know when you get your ATM definitely youmust pay me
back my money and even compensate me for helpingyou.

Now i want you to
contact DHL DeliveryService with your Full Contact informations so that
they candeliver your Card to your designated address without anydelay.
Like i stated earlier, The delivery charges has beenpaid but i did not
pay their official keeping fees sincethey refused. They refused and the
reason is that they donot know when you are going to contact them and
dumurragemight have increase.

They told me that theirkeeping fees is
$25 per day and i deposited it on saturdaythis week.

Below is their
ContactInformations,
Contact Person: Hon.Dr.Jerry Leo
DhlDelivery
Service
Email: (dhexpressdelivery@live.fr)
Tel:+229 93111065

Contact
Today to avoid increaseof their keeping fees and let me know once you
receive yourCard.

Yours
Rev.Dr.Thomas Guettler
ATMOFFICE
ZENITH BANK
INTERNATIONAL

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam