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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
• 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.
  • +22997843997 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Tue, 14 Oct 2008 22:42:24 +0200
Subject: =?UTF-8?Q?WESTERN_UNION_MONEY_TRANSFER?=


 Send Money Worldwide From The Desk Of WESTERN UNION REMMITANCE DEPT
Our Ref:WUMT0XX2/987  GOOD NEWS, There is an issue with the WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER UNITED UNITED KINGDOM in the amount of $2.5 Million directed in cash credited to file KTU/9023118308/03, at the owner of this email address . The INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND contacted us for the release of your money a couple of hours ago due to your allocated security code.They said that they choose to send it to you throug western union instead of courrier services because there's many fake courrier company here so we dont trust any of them. We are unable to complete a transfer directed at an email address,so we require some more information in order to complete this transfer. FULL NAME:
FULL CONTACT ADDRESS:
MOBILE PHONE NUMBER:
MARITAL STATUS AND AGE:CONTACT THE WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER WITH THIS E-MAIL westerrnunion1@live.fr  Phone number +229-9784-3997 DIRECTOR ALBERT ALSON  Note: That this is not one of those Nigerian/African scams that all they are after is to ripe you off your money and at the end you wil not receive your funds, but note that this is not scam and is directly from the Management of Western Union Money Transfer Benin Republic Head Office and our Motto is To Serve You Better. we will be sending you $5.000 usd every day because to transfer the total money of $2.5 million usd to your account will cost you big money for the transfering Fee.that is why united nations give us order to be sending you $5.000 usd every day, Contact us on our E-mail; westerrnunion1@live.frPhone number +229-9784-3997Director Name ALBERT  ALSON  also note that you would be receiveing $5.000 for each transfer that's how we are going to pay you your $2.5 million usd $5.000 usd per a transfer. THE MANAGEMENT OF WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER, BENIN HEAD OFFICE.DISPATCHED THIS DAYBEST REGARDS,
Mr UGO MARK303Western Union® Welcome to Western Union Send Money WorldwideRegistered © 2007 - 2008 Western Union Money Transfer. All Right Reserved This email is intended for the named recipient only and may contain privilegde and confidential information. If you have received this email in error, please notify us immediately. Please do not disclose the contents to anyone or copy it to outside parties 

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam