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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.

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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:
  • "security keeping 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. )
  • "the consignment" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "consignment " (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "million united states dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "i will advice you " (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. )
• 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.
  • +2348035649823 (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.
  • apex.apexcourierservice@googlemail.com

Fraud email example:

From: "Anderson"<mike145@mike.org>
Reply-To: <apex.apexcourierservice@googlemail.com>
Date: Mon, 11 May 2009 23:08:16 -0700
Subject: Greetins Dear Beloved Friend,

Greetins Dear Beloved Friend,

I have been waiting for you to come down here and pick your $1.500,000 USD but I did not heard from you.Then I went and deposited the $1.5M USA Dollars as a consignments box to APEX COURIER SERVICE Because I travelled to Dubai and i will not come back till next month end.I want You to contact the APEX COURIER SERVICE Head office Nigeria to know when they will deliver your consignment box to you.

Please i want to let you know that is only the director knows the content and no body else knows about this only Dr Williams Momoh the director,So please waste no time in contacting them with the below information.I have paid for the delievery fee, The only money you have to send to them now is the security keeping fee of your consignment.Please i will advice you to be friendly with Dr William Momoh the director because he alone have the idea of the content of your consignment.

But i want to let you know that i did not give him the key of the box so please take note that as soon as they deliver the consignment use this ( CODE NUMBERS TO OPEN THE BOX TO KNOW IF THE COMPLETE OF 1.5MILLION USD IS IN IT ).THE FIRST BOX CODE ( 0036589 )THE SECOND BOX CODE ( 4475855 ) AND I WANT YOU TO KEEP THIS CODE NUMBER CONFIDENTIAL IN YOUR HOME TO AVOID ANOTHER PERSON GETTING IN TOUCH WITH YOUR MONEY MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. PLEASE CONTACT THEM TO THE BELOW INFORMATION IMMEDIATELY YOU RECEIVE THIS MAIL

CONTACT PERSON:Dr.WILLIAMS MOMOH
DESPATCH DIRECTOR APEX COURIER SERVICE
WEST AFRICA HEAD OFFICE NIGERIA
E-mail:apex.apexcourierservice@googlemail.com
Email apex_apex@live.com
Telephone +234 8035649823

Try to contact them as soon as possible to avoid increasing the security keeping fee I gave them your delivering address but you have to reconfirm it to them again to avoid them making mistake in delievering your consignment to your home reconfirm below information to the company immediately and tell them to send to you the airwaybill reciept as soon as you send them the security fee.I would have paid the security fee for you but they said no because they dont know when you will contact them so please they are waiting for you to contact them with your information to avoid mistake in delivery.and let them know also that they should waste no time in sending to you the tracking number or the airwaybill reciept of your consignment so that you can be able to track it and know when it will arrive your country.

Your FullName-----------------------
Your Address------------------------
Your telephone-----------------------
Your Age ---------------------
Your pic-----------------------------
Occupation---------------------------

Let me know as soon as you receive your consignment,and check the contents whether the complete of the total 1.5,000,00 million united states dollars is in it.Please always call them to know the condition of this consighment because you know the content so please let it be very important to you So try and do everything possible to make sure that the box gets to your home without any delay.

Best Wishes,
Mike Anderson

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam