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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

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.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

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:

Fraud email example:

From: "UK TREASURY OFFICE" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <i.treasury@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Wed, 3 Jun 2009 14:45:22 -0700
Subject: PAYMENT OF ACCUMULATED INTEREST SUM REMINDER NOTICE

UK TREASURY OFFICE
OF FOREIGN ASSET CONTROL REGULATIONS.
1 Horse Guards Road London SW1A 2HQ, UK
Tel: +44 70240 94969
Email: fotreasuryuk@live.co.uk
Dr. Steve Cole
Director, Compliance Board

PAYMENT OF ACCUMULATED INTEREST SUM, TRN LAIKI435537672828, AMOUNT USD1,198,901-02 (ONE MILLION, ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY EIGHT THOUSAND, NINE HUNDRED AND ONE UNITED STATES DOLLARS, AND TWO CENTS) ONLY.

This is to inform you that we have just received a NOTIFICATION from a bank here (First CITY Bank PLC), Channel Islands, UK) concerning a deposited funds of US$1,198,901.02 in their custody.

Based on the letter of notification from the bank, they said that sometime ago, a fund was sent to their bank to be transferred to your account as the beneficiary, but due to inability of the Bank to settle all clearance problems with the UK Treasury Department concerning the source of the fund, the transfer was suspended. The bank informed us that during the time this fund stayed in their custody waiting for clearance, it had an accumulated interest sum of US$1,198,901.02 and from further information, we have discovered that you are the beneficiary of the fund; hence we send you this letter.
We are ready to release this interest sum by KTT (KEY TESTED TELEX TRANSFER) to you within 72hrs of this payment notice and endorsement as soon as we hear from you; hence we are sending you this payment notification reminder to enable you come forward to claim the interest sum. You should get back to this office without delay.

Dr. STEVE COLE
Tel: +44 70240 94969
Email: fotreasuryuk@live.co.uk

In addition, you are advised to furnish me with the following information for final vetting and onward release of fund to you:
1. Your Full name and address
2. Your telephone and fax numbers
3. Full Bank Information eg. Bank Name, Bank Address, Bank Account number and bank Swift code.

Alternative, if you want your fund delivered to your home address via the Air Logistics Limited, abreast us on time.

We are waiting for your reply in order to apply for fund transfer; hence you should treat as urgent and of top priority for a better service from us as we have ONLY 72hrs mandate to process and release this interest sum to you.
Sincerely yours,

STEPHEN HARRY POWLL
Compliance Board General Counsel
C.c: Ms. Norah Barger
(Associate Director, Division of Banking Supervision)
C.c: Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
C.c: Gerard Lemos, Independent Director, Banking Code Standards Board

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