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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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• What can you do when you receive 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:
  • "required 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. )
  • "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• 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.
  • +22993008611 (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.
  • d.h.l_office@sify.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: REV WILLIAMS <rev_wills10@msn.com>
Reply-To: <d.h.l_office@sify.com>
Date: Fri, 3 Jul 2009 14:00:41 +0000
Subject: TRY CALL DAVID TANKO ON THIS PHONE +22993008611




Good day. I have paid the required fee for your Bank Draft and i took it to the FINANCIAL BANK PLC to confirm it then the Manager of the Bank MR BENARD UGO told me that before the CHEQUE will get to you it will expire on the way and if it expired it will become useless to you, so He advice me to convert USD$27.5m (TWENTY SEVEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS) into cash and pack it into the strong iron box and deposit it in DHL COURIER SERVICE to deliver it in cash to you.and i did it as he advice me because he is a banker he knows the durability of any foriegn Bank Draft or Cheque.I deposited the said package in the Dhl Delivery Company as an Cotton materials for secuirty reasons, This is the registration Number of your Package ( dhl/122p/mtm/2007) Zip Code (0113388)So do not let the company to know the real contents of the package so that they can deliver it for you safely.I want you to contact the company immediately with the following informations though i give them your information but you need to reconfirm it for them.Below is the required infomation you need to give them now,
1.YOUR FULL NAME..........
2. HOME ADDRESS.........
3.HOMEPHONE..............
4. YOUR CELPHONENUMBER................
5.A SCAN COPY OF YOUR PHOTO.........
6.YOUR AGE AND MARITAL STATUS..........
All these things is needed from you now to submmit to the company for urgent delivery of your package contains $27.5million usd Please contact the delivery company immediately and reconfirm your info to them to enable their agent locate you when he arrived in your country. This is the company contactinfo.Email;( d.h.l_office@sify.com )
DR.DAVID TANKO Director General,Dhl Delivery Company Benin Republic.Tel;+229 9300-8611,
Please contact the company immediately you receive this email so that your package will leave tonight to be deliver to you. Get back to me as soon as you receive your package from the company.Regards
REV WILLIAM ADAM

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam