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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.

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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:
  • "swift card payment center" (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)
  • "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.
  • +22995428005 (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.
  • aci_apexbnkbenin@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "PETER BENSON" <p.benson@ig.com.br>
Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:20:03 +0200
Subject: Good Day My Dear.


*Good day My Dear,

I wish to let you know that I have waited for you for a very longtime now to
come down here and pick up your bank draft but did not hear from you till
date, so then I went and deposited the US$750,000.00 Dollars Bank
Draft/Cheque with the Apex Bank Benin.

They have arranged your payment through their Swift Card Payment Center Asia
Pacific, this Card Center will send you an Atm Card which you will use to
withdraw your money from any Atm machine in any part of the world, but the
maximum is $1,500 Per-hour and you can withdraw $15,000 Per-day.

Kindly contact the below person who is in possition to release your ATM Payment
Card, with your information which they will use to send the card to you.

1; Your Complete Names.
2; Your Contact Address.
3; Your Contact Telephone/Mobile Numbers.

However, kindly contact the below person who is in position to release your
atm card.

Mr. Ahmed Bello,
Director ATM Payment Dept.
Apex Bank Benin - Cotonou.
Tel: +229 95 428 005.
Email: **aci_apexbnkbenin@yahoo.com* <aci_apexbnkbenin@yahoo.com>

*Try to contact them as soon as possible to quicken the processing of your
card before your draft gets expired, also know that you will be required to
have the sum of $130 Dollars send to them for the Affidevit of Ownership
which they will procure on your behalf to authorize Them process Your ATM
Card, before sending it to you.

Let me know as soon as you receive your card.

Thanks

Mr. Peter Benson.*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam