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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.

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:
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • +2348038069176 (Nigeria, 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.
  • citylink.customerservice001@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Nguyen Bao" <info@verablair.co.uk>
Reply-To: citylink.customerservice002@gmail.com
Date: Sun, 12 Apr 2009 09:04:13 +0800
Subject: Greetings

Greetings,

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 CITY LINK
Couriers Limited, West Africa, I travelled out of the country for a 3
Months Course and I will not come back till end of August.


What you have to do now is to contact the CITY LINK Couriers Limited as
soon as possible to know when they will deliver your package to you
because of the expiring date. For your information, I have paid for the
delivering Charge and Insurance premium.


The only money you will send to the CITY LINK Couriers Limited to deliver
your Draft direct to your postal Address in your country is ($200.00 US)
Dollars only being Security Keeping Fee of the Courier Company so far.
Again, don't be deceived by anybody to pay any other money except
$200.00US Dollars.


I would have paid that but they said no because they don't know when you
will contact them and in the case of demurrage.You have to contact the
CITY LINK Couriers Limited now for the delivery of your Draft with this
information bellow;


Contact Person: Mr.Victor Chapman
Email Address: citylink.customerservice001@gmail.com
Telephone:+(234)803-806-9176


Finally, make sure that you reconfirm your Postal address() and Direct
telephone number to them again to avoid any mistake on the Delivery and
ask them to give you the tracking Pin Number to enable you track your
package over there and know when it will get to your address.


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 $200.00 US Dollars for their immediate action. You should also let
me know through email as soon as you receive your Draft.


Yours Faithfully,
Mrs. Vera Blair.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam