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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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:
  • "chambers" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "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.
  
• 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.
  • +22998276157 (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.
  • drosteenmood@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Sun, 16 Nov 2008 18:10:20 +0100
Subject: FROM WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFRA TO YOU PLEASE URGENTLY


Attention Beneficiary:

We are using this medium to communicate with you that the board and the
directors of Ecowas and the British High Commission are working seriously
with the AU authorities to ensure that you are partially settled with the
flat sum of Two Million Five Hundred United States Dollars ($2.5 Million)
being for the compensation of all the money you
wasted and problems created to you by some corrupt officials from this Sub
Region of the World, who collided with some imposters to victimize innocent
masses.

Presently, I am mandated to inform you that the authorities are ready to pay
all the people who were victimized by those wicked officials according to
the order of the human right commision.

So, be notified that there is a human right attorney here who will assist
you to get your $2.5 million if you are willing to receive it, your names
are among the 15 names in the first batch who are to receive the first
payment, but it is left for you as the beneficairy to show your interest on
the fund by forwarding to the chambers of the attorney all your current
information and data so as the enable him forward them to the organizing
board to endorse for the swift release and payment of your compensation via
a Western Union from Benin Republic.

Equip us with your under listed current information to enhance a fast
communication to you by the attorney and for a rapid submission and
confirmation of your name for your payment by the asigned Western Union
Bank:

Your complete names
Address
Telephone Numbers
Occupation
Nationality
Age and Marital Status
Sex

The aforemention informations are very vital to propel this payment without
any further delay by the Western Union as soon as your information is
submited and stabilzed in the debt clearance data base.

However, be informed earlier that you will only pay the sum of two hundred
and eighty Euros €280 to the attorney for the procession of all your file.

Please call the attorney for more carelification +229 98276157

Expecting an urgent reply from my priavte e-mail address;*
drosteenmood@yahoo.com*

Yours Sincerely,
Dr Osteen Mood
For and on behalf of the Debt Settlement Board
Lot 620 St. Terita
Cotonou Benin Republic

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam