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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
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• 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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "swift card payment center" (this phrase is often used in the ATM card payment scam)
  • "(ecowas)" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: pm_cfc@hotmail.com
Date: Sat, 29 Nov 2008 18:01:56 +0100
Subject: RE:lmmediate ATM DEBIT Cash Card Payment Notification


>From The Desk Of: Mr.Mike Uche Chi
International Settlement Dept.
Oceanic Bank International Plc

Re:Immediate ATM DEBIT Cash Card Payment Notification

Your Name And Your Contact Details Was Given To This Office In Respect
Of Your Total lnherited/Contract Sum Owed To You Which You Have Failed
To Claim Because Of Either Non-Compliance Of Official Processes Or
Because Of Your Unbelief Of The Reality Of Your Genuine Payment.
We Wish To Bring To You The Solution To This Problem. Right Now We
Have Arranged Your Payment Through Our Swift Card Payment Centers,
That Is The Latest Instruction From Economic Community Of West African
States (ECOWAS)

This Card Center Will Send To You An ATM DEBIT Card Which You Will Use
To Withdraw Your Money In Any ATM Machine In Any Part Of The World, So
If You Like To Receive Your Fund In This Way, Please Let Us Know By
Contacting Us Back And Also Send The Following Information As Listed
Below.

1. Full Name
2. Phone And Fax Number
3. Address Were You Want Them To Send The ATM Card To
(P.O Box Not Acceptable)
4. Your Age And Current Occupation
5. Attach Copy Of Your Identification

We Have Been Mandated By The ECOWAS Parliament To Issue Out $2.5
Million As Part Payment For This fiscal year 2008. Also For Your
Information, You Have To Stop Any Further Communication With Any Other
Person (S) Or Office(S) To Avoid Any Hitches In Receiving Your
Payment.

Note That Because Of Impostors, We Hereby Issued You Our Code Of
Conduct, Which Is (ATM-110) So You Have To Indicate This Code When
Contacting The Card Center By Using It As Your Subject.

Wait For Your Expedite Response.

Yours In Service,
Mr.Mike Uche Chi ATM DEPT
lnternational Settlement Dept

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam