About PhoneLads.com & Mobile (Cell) Phone 419 Scams


PhoneLads.com Overview

PhoneLads.com is a consumer awareness site that focuses on promoting awareness about mobile phone (cell phone), and other electronic items (laptops, mp3 players, digital cameras and PDAs), Advance Fee Fraud Scams (also known as 419).

PhoneLads.com's aims are:

  • To provide information about how the scams work
  • To provide information about how the scammers find their victims
  • To provide a user-contributed database of email addresses, telephone numbers, fax numbers, names, and company names that have appeared in adverts (resembling a typical scammer advertisement) that have been spammed on bulletinboards, forums, classifieds and in guestbooks.

Why the name PhoneLads.com? What is a Phone-Lad?
"Lad" is another name for 419 scammers, especially used in reference to Advance Fee Fraud scammers. A "Phone-Lad" is a lad who focuses on mobilephone and electronic goods "sales" scams.

More information about PhoneLads.com can be found in the PhoneLads.com FAQ.

What is 419? How does it work?

419 is the Nigerian Criminal Code referring to fraud schemes. Advance Fee Fraud are now commonly referred to as just "419" regardless of the country, or countries, that the fraud is committed in. 419 works in the following way:
  1. The Scammer, from now on "Mr Moron", contacts a victim, or entices victims to contact him. In both cases the victim will be offered a what seems like an easy and good deal. Either the promises of riches in return for a little help or goods priced at well below the typical market price.
  2. Mr Moron will ask for a fee in advance, usually via Western Union or Moneygram, for services or goods.
  3. The victim then sends the money and Mr Moron collects it.
  4. Mr Moron then will demand further money out of them. In the case of Phone-Lad 419 scams, The scammer will request "unexpected" delivery, tax and customs fees.
  5. Sadly, out of fear of losing their investment so far, the victim will usually comply with the Mr Moron's demands.
There is more information about 419 Phone-Lad scammers and theirs scams in the Phone-Lad FAQs & Guides.