419 scam: Robert Muller <fbi_antifruadept@yahoo.com> ANTI-TERRORIST & MONETARY CRIMES DIVISION

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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:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "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. )
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "robert mueller" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real FBI will not tell you to contact some email address. If you are in any doubt, contact an FBI field office via www.fbi.gov. )
- "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "cashier's check" (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 fake lottery scam. Consider the following facts about real lotteries:
1. They don't notify winners by email.
2. You can't win without first buying a lottery ticket.
3. They don't randomly select email addresses to award prizes to.
4. They don't use free email accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc) to communicate with you.
5. They don't tell you to call a mobile phone number.
6. They don't tell you to keep your winnings secret.
7. They will never ask a winner to pay any fees to receive a prize!
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 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.
- remittdeppt22@yahoo.co.jp (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Robert Muller <fbi_antifruadept@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: remittdeppt22@yahoo.co.jp
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:25:38 -0500
Subject: ANTI-TERRORIST & MONETARY CRIMES DIVISION

ANTI-TERRORIST & MONETARY CRIMES DIVISION
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
1110 THIRD AVENUE
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON 98101 USA

ATTENTION: BENEFICIARY

This e-mail has been issued to you in order to Officially inform you
that we have completed an

investigation on an International Payment in which was issued to you
by an International Lottery

Company. With the help of our newly developed technology
(International Monitoring Network

System) we discovered that your e-mail address was automatically
selected by an Online Balloting

System, this has legally won you the sum of $800,000.00 USD from a
Lottery Company outside the

United States of America. During our investigation we discovered that
your e-mail won the money

from an Online Balloting System and we have authorized this winning to
be paid to you via a

Certified Cashier's Check.

Normally, it will take up to 10 business days for an International
Check to be cashed by your local

bank. We have successfully notified this company on your behalf that
funds are to be drawn from a

registered bank within the United States Of America so as to enable
you cash the check instantly

without any delay, henceforth the stated amount of $800,000.00 USD has
been deposited with Bank

Of America.

We have completed this investigation and you are hereby approved to
receive the winning prize as we

have verified the entire transaction to be Safe and 100% risk free,
due to the fact that the funds have

been deposited at Bank Of America you will be required to settle the
following bills directly to the

Lottery Agent in-charge of this transaction whom is located in Lagos,
Nigeria. According to our

discoveries, you were required to pay for the following -

(1) Deposit Fee's ( Fee's paid by the company for the deposit into an
American Bank which is - Bank

Of America )
(2) Cashier's Check Conversion Fee ( Fee for converting the Wire
Transfer payment into a Certified

Cashier's Check )
(3) Shipping Fee's ( This is the charge for shipping the Cashier's
Check to your home address)

The total amount for everything is $500.00 (Five Hundred-US Dollars).
We have tried our possible

best to indicate that this $500.00 should be deducted from your
winning prize but we found out that

the funds have already been deposited at Bank Of America and cannot be
accessed by anyone apart

from you the winner, therefore you will be required to pay the
required fee's to the Agent in-charge

of this transaction via Western Union Money Transfer Or Money Gram.

In order to proceed with this transaction, you will be required to
contact the agent in-charge ( Mrs.

Patience Wheatcroft) via e-mail. Kindly look below to find appropriate
contact information:

CONTACT AGENT NAME: MR BENSON EJIMEGO
E-MAIL ADDRESS: remittdeppt22@yahoo.co.jp

You will be required to e-mail him with the following information:

FULL NAME:
ADDRESS:
CITY:
STATE:
ZIP CODE:
DIRECT CONTACT NUMBER:
OCCUPATION:

You will also be required to request Western Union or Money Gram
details on how to send the

required $500.00 in order to immediately ship your prize of
$800,000.00 USD via Certified Cashier's

Check drawn from Bank Of America, also include the following
transaction code in order for him to

immediately identify this transaction : EA2948-910.

This letter will serve as proof that the Federal Bureau Of
Investigation is authorizing you to pay the

required $500.00 ONLY to Mr. Benson Ejimego via information in which
he shall send to you, if you

do not receive your winning prize of $800,000.00 we shall be held
responsible for the loss and this

shall invite a penalty of $3,000 which will be made PAYABLE ONLY to
you (The Winner).

Mr. Robert Mueller

Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Tel: 206-888-6462

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam