419 scam: "FEDERAL RESERVE BANK"<han@ns.allinfoto.com> FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF NEW YORK

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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:
- "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "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. )
- "mtcn" (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. )
- "million dollars" (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)
- "lagos" (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.
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.
- federalreservebank290@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "FEDERAL RESERVE BANK" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <federalreservebank290@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Wed, 6 Mar 2013 14.37.00 +0100
Subject: FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF NEW YORK

FROM THE DESK OF DR. BEN SHALOM BERNANKE
CHAIRMAN UNITED STATES FEDERAL RESERVE/
FUND MANAGEMENT & REFORM COMMITTEE
(SUB SECTION WEST AFRICAN MONITORING UNIT)
Our Ref: PHC/WAMU/BJN/ZZ057

NOTIFICATION OF CREDIT FROM UNITED STATES FEDERAL RESERVE.

Attn:

We have this day received a payment credit instruction from the Federal
Government of Benin to credit your account with your full Inheritance fund
of US$1.5 million dollars from the Nigeria reserve account with our UNITED
STATES FEDERAL RESERVE. However, you are required to provide the
followings data below:

{1}. Your Full Name and Address.
{2}. Your Confidential Tel, Cell and Fax
{3). Your Bank name and address.
{4). Your A/c Name and A/c Numbers.:
(5). Your Swift Code / Routing Numbers.

Please do provide the above information accurately, because this office
cannot afford to be held liable for any wrong transfer of funds or
liability of funds credited into a ghost account.

Secondly,the only money you pay for the transfer to take place is just $55
being the approval payment certification from the government of Nigeria,
and you are giving a limited time to send the payment and please be advise
that you are to send the payment to American Embassy office in Nigeria and
you are to use this information to send the $55 and please be informed
that you are not going to pay any other payment to any body and do not be
deceived by any body to send any other payment.

Here is the information you will use to send the payment through Money
Gram or Western union.

Name: EZEOBA SAMUEL
Country: Lagos-Nigeria
Question: WHEN
Answer: NOW
Amount: $55

Send to me the following info once you send the payment.
Senders Name:
Location:
MTCN / Reference #:

Upon confirmation of the payment, note that your funds will be credited
into your provided account within 24hours.

Thanks for transacting with the federal Reserve Bank while we looking
forward to serving you with the best of our service. Accept my
congratulations in advance.

GOD BLESS AMERICA.

Thanks and God bless you.

Regards,
Yours in Service,
Mr. Ben S. Bernanke

Chairman United States Federal Reserve
Email (federalreservebank290@yahoo.co.uk}
Phone: +1( 206-259-8245

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam