419 scam: "CitiBank London"<info@makkahprize.com> INHERITANCE PAYMENT NOTIFICATION

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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:
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "federal republic of benin" (Benin, Cameroon, etc. are no Federal Republics, unlike Nigeria where this type of scam was invented)
- "customercare01@w.cn" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
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.
- +22999415013 (Benin, probably a 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.
- ctb01@accountant.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "CitiBank London" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <customercare01@w.cn>
Date: Wed, 1 Dec 2010 16:37:26 +0100
Subject: INHERITANCE PAYMENT NOTIFICATION

Global Consumer Bank London
Suite 20 – 25 Lion Towers
Central London England .
E-mail address: ctb01@accountant.com

Ref: CitiBank/FGL/0324/10/FPYT 1st December, 2010

Attn: Concerned Beneficiary,

INHERITANCE PAYMENT NOTIFICATION

Considering our banking credibility and competence, we wish to notify you that we have received payment instruction from the Federal Republic of Benin to debit their coded operational account with the Citibank and credit your nominated account to the tune of your inheritance sum (US$8.7M) within 72hrs, be advised that the Citibank Corporation has an autonomous decision and would not communicate or entertain any instruction from the Central Bank of Benin please be warned.

Having acknowledged receipt of your inheritance payment telex advice sent to us by the Central Bank of Benin for further credit to your account. We therefore have the pleasure to inform you of Central Bank of Benin credit advice to transfer your payment to you. The transfer has been secured with codes to ensure the payment may not be intercepted or diverted fraudulently. Please obtain your Personal Identification Number (PIN CODE) and Transfer Access Code (TAC) from:

CONTACT: DR. CHRIS FRANKLIN
DIRECTOR FOREIGN OPERATIONS CENTRAL BANK OF BENIN
Tel: +22999415013
Email: customercare01@w.cn

And return to enable us access the transfer and credit your account. We will not respond to any correspondent received in regards to this advice without prior receipt of the matching Codes requested herein. This advice complies with the anti fraud, section 2 sub – section (IV) of the procedural manual of the Contractual ‘Disbursement Agreement existing between our Bank and the Federal Government of Benin.

NOTE: This signal is highly coded and classified and all information regarding to this should be treated as such for your own interest. You are advised to CALL and reconfirm your full bank details and telephone no to the officer in charge strictly at the above – secure E-mail address: ctb01@accountant.com to enable us act swiftly and accurately on your file as time is of the essence.

We advise that you respond immediately to the above instructions.

We also reassure you of our banking competence and credibility.

Congratulations!

Yours faithfully,

MRS HELEN BRUCE
Director (FOREIGN TRANSFER DIVISION),

CC: CITIBANK LIASON OFFICE, LONDON - ENGLAND
CC: OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENCY, COTONOU- BENIN

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam