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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.
  • chrisbrownoffice2@ig.com.br (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: <sandradani@centrum.cz>
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:46:38 +0100
Subject: DO NOT FORGET TO QUOTE YOUR REGISTRATION NUMBER AND SECURITY CODE NUMBER.


Dear Friend,

Greetings to you & your Family.

I have been waiting for you since to contact me for your Confirmable Bank Draft of $800.000.00 United States Dollars, but I did not hear from you since that time, Then I went and deposited the Draft with Apex Global Security and Courier Service, Cotonou,Benin Republic before I travelled out of the country for a short Course and I will not come back till next year.

What you have to do now is to contact the Apex Global Security and Courier Service as soon as possible and instruct them to deliver your package to you.For your information, I have paid for the delivering Charges. The only money you will send to the Courier & Security Company to deliver your Draft direct to your postal Address in your country is ($195) only being their Security Keeping Fee of the Courier Company so far.

I would have paid that but they said no because they don't know when you will contact them and in case of demurrage. You have to contact the Apex Global Security and Courier Service now for the delivery of your Draft with this information below.Director Apex Global Security and Courier Service Benin Republic.

Dr Christian Brown.
E-mail: (chrisbrownoffice2@ig.com.br)
Tel: 00 229 9300 3728 Registration No:
Eg2272 Security Code Number: 01721457

Finally, make sure that you reconfirm your Postal address and direct telephone number to them again to avoid any mistake on the Delivery and Let me repeat again, try to contact them as soon as you receive this mail to avoid any further delay and remember to pay them their Security Keeping fee of $195 for their immediate action. You should also let me know through email as soon as you receive your Money.Yours Faithfully,Sandra Daniels.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam