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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.

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:
  • "atm payment department" (this phrase is often used in the ATM card payment scam)
  • "card center will send you an atm card" (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. )
  • "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)
  • "hundred thousand united state dollars" (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)
  • "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
• 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.
  • +22997046911 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "good" <donaldduke@centrum.sk>
Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:13:29 +0200
Subject: Greetings Dear Beloved Friend,


Greetings Dear Beloved Friend,
I want to inform you about my success in transferring your money into an ATM master card to curtail the risk of carrying huge amount of money around. The total amount has been coded into ATM master
card; please contact the Bank ATM payment center for more instruction on how to make use of the ATM card to withdraw your money in any ATM machine around the globe. I will be traveling to CHINA for
business project with my own share of the total money.
Meanwhile, I didn't forget your past efforts and attempts to assist me in transferring the fund despite that it failed us some how. Now you can contact the ATM PAYMENT DEPARTMENT of ECOBANK BANK
BENIN on this email (michaelkohnatmpaymaster23@live.com) they will send you the sum of Two Million Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars ($2.500, 000.00) which is your own share for all the
sufferings at that time.
That is compensation for all your past efforts I really appreciated your consistency at that time. This card center will send you an ATM card which you will use to withdraw your money in any ATM
machine around the world, the maximum withdrawal is Ten Thousand United State Dollars per day. Feel free to get in touch with the ATM PAYMENT DEPARTMENT and give them direction on where to send the
ATM card to you, the only money they will request from you is the activation fee of $99.99, so contact them right away.
Do not hesitate to contact the ECOBANK Benin ATM payment department center with the information i gave to you and also re-confirm the following information to them as listed below:
1. Full Name........................
2. Current Address..................
3. Phone Number.....................
4. A Copy of your identity..........
5. Your Nationality.................

Forward the above information to Prof. Michael Kohn, the head department officer of ATM payment center ECOBANK Bank Benin Republic. Phone: +229-9704-6911,
Email :(michaelkohnatmpaymaster23@live.com)
Please do let me know immediately you receive the ATM card so that we can share the joy together after all the sufferings at that time. I will be very busy in CHINA for the project am going to have
there with my partner. So contact the ATM center immediately, they will give you more details of the ATM service.
Finally, be informed that I left instructions to the DEPARTMENT to send the ATM MASTER CARD to you, so feel free to get in touch with the DEPARTMENT and they will send the CARD to you with out any
delay.

Best Regards,
Acct.Donald Duke..

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam