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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:
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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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "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 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.
  • transwordcourierservices@hotmail.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: transwordcourierservices@hotmail.fr
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:08:34 +0100
Subject: SECRETARY OFFICE


SECRETARY OFFICE
BP 1818 COCOTOMY ABEDMEY.
COTONOU REPUBLIC OF BENIN.
Dear Friend,

I have been waiting for you to come down here to pick up your Cashier Bank
Draft before,i left Cotonou. Then I went and deposited the Draft with a
Courier company name : TRANS WORLD COURIER SERVICES. here in Benin
Republic,Please for your informations I travelled to Japan to see my boss as
he instructed me and I did not know the time to come back.

You are to contact the TRANS WORLD COURIER SERVICES. with the registration
number, independent/mtm/ped/214/2006 and also the security code of 883kp to
know when they will deliver your package,

Bellow is their Contact Informations:
Attn: Sir. Bruno Mathew
Address : BP 15 Ste Ceceile Ave,
City: Cotonou
Country: Republic Du Benin.

EMAIL:(transwordcourierservices@hotmail.fr) Try to contact them as soon as
possible to avoid increasing the security keeping fee.

Finally, you have to reconfirm these information to them: Your complete name
Phone number
Residence or office address
Age
Occupation
Marital status
House or office address
Cell phone number

These information are necessary to avoid any mistake in delivery. Let me
know as soon as you receive your Draft.

Regards,
Mr. Denis Moussa.
Secretary

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam