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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: "Mrs. Michael J. McGrath" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <timcoleman01@yahoo.cn>
Date: Mon, 8 Apr 2013 12:48:11 -0500
Subject: ATM Card Cashable Card ($6,000,000.00USD) reply to timcoleman01@yahoo.cn

Attn: Beneficiary,

I am Mr. Ron Mills, the personal secretary to the FBI Director; Mrs. Michael J. McGrath III. After proper investigations, we discovered that your impending payment that have been withheld by imposters, claiming to be Mr. Lamido Sanusi (The New Governor of the Central bank of Nigeria), Mr. Patrick Aziza, Mr. Frank Nweke, None existing officials of the Oceanic Bank of Nigeria and Zenith Bank, UK winning Lottery, Andy Lear of Hsbc bank, Coca-Cola winning lottery and among a list of others is now under our custody with the help of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Local Police Force.

Investigations revealed that you have spent a lot on your personal earned money just to conclude the successful transfer of your funds to your nominated bank account by obtaining transfer documents as requested by the imposters, costing you a lot of money but all to no avail.

The FBI had to send some financial crime investigators from our head quarters in Washington DC to Africa in other to carry out proper investigation, after receiving series of other reports similar to yours as you are not the only person awaiting the legal transfer of funds from Africa.

The FBI has giving authority to the International Monetary Funds (IMF) to assist the Federal Ministry of Finance and all the organization involved; such as the Central Bank, Zenith Bank, and Legit lottery organizations to immediately commence with the compensation of all the beneficiaries awaiting the successful transfer of their funds.

With the help of some of the best Internet investigators attached to the FBI, we traced your information from the Internet as one of the beneficiaries awaiting the successful transfer of funds to your nominated account.

I am pleased to inform you that a meeting was held as regards the best way to carry out with the compensation exercise for transparency and most especially to avoid reoccurrence of the delay in transferring your funds and the high cost of procuring transfer documents and came to a final conclusion as all head of organizations involved was duly represented.

It was approved to be issued to you as a valid international ATM card cashable at any ATM machine designation in the world. The ATM account has already being credited with Six Million United States dollars. ($6,000,000.00USD), with a daily Limit of withdrawal of Six thousand United States Dollars. ($6,000,00USD).The ATM card has already being packaged and approved to be delivered to your door step via United Parcel Service (ROYAL EXPRESS COURIER)

Contact Mr. Tim Coleman. {Our FBI ATM Rep.} at the ATM PAYMENT CENTER and reconfirm your delivery information as stated below and your security code with five digit (20013) number has to be submitted alongside with your delivery information for security reasons.

DELIVERY INFROMATION:
FULL NAME:
DELIVERY ADDRESS:
CELLPHONE NUMBER:
CURRENT OCCUPATION
CONTACT INFORMATION:

NAME: Mr. Tim Coleman.
EMAIL: timcoleman01@yahoo.cn
PHONE: (347) 298 4234

NOTE: Under normal circumstances you are suppose to come and collect your ATM CARD in person and sign some documents as proof of the collection of your ATM CARD but the IMF and the Finance Ministry insisted that you pay for the delivery charges of your ATM CARD via western union money transfer or Money Gram, which will cost you only $320USD to cut down travel expenses in other for the western union payment receipt and the receipt of payment of $320USD to the nominated courier company that will carry out with the delivery to your door step to be documented in your file as proof your collection. We hope that is very clear. A receipt to this effect will be sent to you and a copy kept in your file for future documentation.

We also advise that you stop further communications with these imposters and forward any correspondence / proposal you receive from them to Mr. Tim Coleman. In other for the FBI to bring justice to does still at large.

Mr. Ron Mills.
FBI DIRECTOR.
For: Mrs. Michael J. McGrath III

Anti-fraud resources: