419 scam: "service" <service@parasaga.com> FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANCE

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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:

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:
- "power of attorney" (with your bank details and a power of attorney form criminals sometimes empty bank accounts)
- "abuja" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
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.
- +2347090854375 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "service" <service@parasaga.com>
Reply-To: david.mark139@gmail.com
Date: Sat, 22 May 2010 12:59:48 +0200
Subject: FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANCE

FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANCE
ABUJA -NIGERIA

Letter of inquiry on your inheritance payment

payment. Attn Beneficiary, A power of attorney was forwarded to my office
this morning by two gentle men , one of them is a Philippine national and he
is ENGR . GILBERT M. USON by name while the other person is Mr. JACK MORGAN
by name your legal adviser a CANADIAN national. This gentle claimed to be
the representative of your family/ company, and this power of attorneystated
that you have died, they brought an account to replace your information and
claimed your fund of (USD$ 10.5M) which it is right now lying DORMANT and
UNCLAIMED, below is the new account they have submitted:

BANK.-BPI BANK QUEZON AVE.
DELTA BRANCH QUEZON CITY,
PHILIPPINES ACCOUNT
NO.2984-0008-66
SWIFT CODE. BOPIPHMM

Be further informed that this power of attorney also stated that you
suffered and died of a throat cancer. The National Central Bureau of
Interpol enhanced by the United Nations and Federal Bureau of Investigation
have successfully passed a mandate to our acting president of Nigeria his
Excellency President Goodluck Jonathan to boost the exercise of clearing all
foreign debts owed to beneficiaries like you and other individuals and
organizations who have been found not to have receive their Contract Sum,
Lottery/Gambling, Inheritance and the likes.

You are therefore given 24hrs to confirm the truth in this information if
you are still alive by sending to this MINISTRY your personal contact
information.

YOUR NAME.
HOME/OFFICE ADDRESS.
YOUR TELEPHONE NUMBER.
FAX.
NEXT OF KIN
OCCUPATION.
AGE.
COUNTRY.

Be informed that any further delay from your side could be dangerous, as we
would not be held responsible of wrong payment which is a result of neglect
or carelessness. There are burial pictures brought in confirmation that you
are dead.

Dr. David Mark
Senate President Of Nigeria
Phone: CALL ME +234 709 085 4375

Anti-fraud resources:

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