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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "demurrage " (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
  • "stamp duty" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
  • "western union" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
  • "money gram" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
  • "mtcn" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
  • "tax fee" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "you are advice to " (this email uses bad English)
  • "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "central bank of nigeria" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "abuja" (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.
  
• 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.
  • +2348074644875 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "FeDex Express"<acct001@live.com>
Reply-To: <fedexexpress41@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2009 05:55:56 -0700
Subject: Attention' Attention’ CLAIM NOTIFICATION.

Attention' Attention’ CLAIM NOTIFICATION.


This is to notify you that your parcel is still in our possession, this parcel contained an International ATM CARD worth the sum of $2.500,000 us dollars onlyand it is ready for delivery to your door step.


Meanwhile, before the delivery or shipment will take place,
you are advice to send to us the following data’s mention
below:
1. Your Name
2.Address
3.Telephone


The above requested information’s will enable us deliver your parcel correctly without any mistake or delivering your parcel to a wrong person.


Further more, you might be asking yourself how comes this email, ATM CARD, Anyway, your ATM CARD was brought to this office by Central Bank Of NIGERIA ATM CARD CENTER Fiduciary Agent Or Claim Agent, signifying that you are the rightful Owner.


FedEx courier service company is mailing you as per your parcel that was brought to this company to be delivered to you by Central BANK, along the delivery process that brought a misunderstanding between you and the CENTRAL BANK ATM CARD CENTER AGENT and in regards of their request as per their insurance certificate cost and tax fee which happened to be the course of your parcel being pending for the past months/one year.


Meanwhile we are hereby happy to inform you that the FedEx Company has finalized everything with the nicon insurance company of Nigeria ? and the internal revenue office as the company organization has also listed 24 valuable parcel’s to be intact in their office after the released of the parcel’s from the nicon insurance company and internal revenue office.


We are happy to inform you once again that your ATM CARD parcel that contains the sum of $2.500,000 us dollars is among the 24 parcel’s listed which is now in our office and also with your name as the receiver despise that we lost your private residential address’s, which is an indication that you can now re-send your residential address, telephone as stated above back to the FedEx company where your parcel can be delivered to you without hesitation with this e-mail: fedexcustoemercare@live.com Meanwhile remember that the sender of this parcel to you that’s the fiduciary agent still owns this company the sum of $155 before the incident occurs Note this fee is not just for delivery but with the stamp duty, this company has spend out of their incomes in the process by recovery back your parcel? so dear customer we once again appreciate your patronage in our favor.


Without hesitations you are to pay for just the balance left by your sender since we have lost his contact. this payment have to be via western union money transfer or money gram with the below payment information so that your parcel can be delivered to your residential address before it accumulate a demurrage after one week only,as you know your parcel is not just an ordinary parcel but with a huge amount and I think you understand what I mean by accumulating a demurrage? Which you will not allow to happen to your recovery parcel that almost gone if not for the love that the good God have for you by favoring you with his favor because it was God who did it not by your power but by the
spirit say the lord.


We assure you that your parcel will arrive at your country in two days time and it will get to your door step the third day as soon as this company receive the balance left by your sender and the tracking number of your parcel will be sent to you via e-mail immediately so that you can track it yourself to see your parcel coming on the way and you will also know when it will arrive at your because we operate in trust and loyalty in your favor.

And also the FedEx Courier Service Company is hereby to inform all their customers by eradicating all their communication with the scam mails that are going all-over the world be careful with their e-mails so that your parcel will not be in danger with their evil planes. FedEx provides access to a growing global market place through a network of supply chain, transportation, business and related information services.


PAYMENT INFORMATION:
Receivers Name: John Mark
Senders Name: Your Name,
Text Question: WHAT FOR
Answer: MAILING,
Location; ABUJA NIGERIA,
MTCN Number... AMOUNT $155


Please you have to send the full payment information including the MTCN Number for we to fully proceed on your delivery FedEx is one of the world's great success stories, the start-up that revolutionized the delivery of packages and information. In the past 30 years, we've grown up and grown into a diverse family of companies as FedEx that's bigger, stronger, better than ever.



WAITING TO READ YOUR E-MAIL.


YOURS AFFECTIONATELY.


Mr. Hopkinns Dennis
(+2348074644875)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam