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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.

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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "waiting for your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "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. )
• 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.
  • +22993268854 (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.
  • ups_couriercompany_101@yahoo.es (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: James Alex <james.alex14@msn.com>
Reply-To: <ups_couriercompany_101@yahoo.es>
Date: Thu, 14 May 2009 13:43:39 +0000
Subject: CONTACT UPS COURIER FOR YOUR CONSIGNMENT



Dear Friend,

I am writing to inform you that I have paid the delivery and Insurance premium fee for your $1.5Million Bank Draft which has been with me for a long time.It was converted into cash and deposited with UPS Courier Service as an african cloth in a consignment.However, all the necessary arrangement for delivering the $1.5 Million U.S DOLLARS in cash was made with UPS Courier Service.

The only money you will send to the UPS Courier Service to deliver your Consignment direct to your postal Address in your country is ($155.00 US) One Hundred & Five United States Dollars only being 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.

N.B. The UPS COURIER SERVICE COMPANY don't know the contents of the Box. I registered it as a BOX of African Cloth. They did not know that the contents was money. This is to avoid them delaying with the BOX. Don't let them know that the content of the box is money, They are waiting for your urgent response.

Contact them on their contact information,
Note that the administrator payment need this details from you to process your payment:
Receiver name-------------
Country--------------
City----------------
Tel----------------
Test question-------------
Answer----------------
ID________
Contact person: Dr Aminu Yusuf,
Tel/FAX: +229 93 26 88 54,
Email: (ups_couriercompany_101@yahoo.es )

Also, send them your contact address with the fee above.

Yours sincerely,

Mr. JAMES ALEX

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam