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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:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "you are advise to" (this email uses bad English)
  • "federal republic of benin" (Benin, Cameroon, etc. are no Federal Republics, unlike Nigeria where this type of scam was invented)
• 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.
  • +22993871769 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: Solomon Chukwu <solmonchukwu56@msn.com>
Reply-To: <fundverificationdept@funcionario.com>
Date: Sun, 26 Apr 2009 01:26:31 +0000
Subject: Contact Director Western Union Office




DEAR,

WE HAVE COCOULDED YESTERDAY WITH THE GOVERNOR OF ECO BANK HERE IN BENIN REPUBLIC THAT YOU SHOULD START RECEIVING YOUR PAYMENT OF $1.5MILLION.USD THROUGH WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER FROM TODAY , BUT YOU WILL BE RECEIVING $5000.00 USD ONLY PER A DAY, SO YOU ARE ADVISE TO CONTACT THE WESTERN UNION OPERATOR DR. HILARY BERRY RIGHT NOM AND RE-CONFIRM YOUR INFORMATION TO HIM RIGHT NOW SO THAT YOU WILL RECEIVE YOUR FIRST PAYMENT IMMEDIATELY FROM NOW.

THIS IS HIS CONTACT EMAIL ADDRESS ( fundverificationdept@funcionario.com )
DIRECTOR NMANE:DR. HILARY BERRY
MOBILE:+229-938-717-69

NOTE THAT THE ADMINISTRATOR PAYMENT NEED THIS DETAILS FROM YOU TO PROCESS YOUR PAYMENT:

RECEIVER'S NAME..........
COUNTRY'S NAME /CODE...
TELEPHONE NUMBER......
TEST QUESTION /TEST ANSWER.....

COMPLY NOW BECAUSE AS SOON AS YOU SENT THIS REQUIRED DETAILS TO DR.HILARY BERRY, HE WILL START SENDING YOUR PAYMENT BY WESTERN UNION.AND DO LET ME KNOW IMMEDIATELY YOU GET YOUR MONEY FOR US TO SHARE THE JOY TOGETHER.

YOURS IN SERVICE
MR. SOLOMON CHUKWU
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF BENIN.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam