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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: "WESTERN UNION" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <western_unions28@yahoo.fr>
Date: Tue, 13 Aug 2013 15:21:27 -0700
Subject: YOUR PAYMENT OF ($3.500,000.00)

Western Union ® Money ransfer
Welcome to Western Union
WESTERN UNION OFFICE Benin Republic
Send Money Worldwide
Contact Payment department; Mr Major Mayor
Contact Email: officenote16@yahoo.com
I WOULD LIKE TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THE MINISTER OF FINANCE DR BEN JOHNSON HAS ORDERED THAT THE ONLY MONEY YOU WILL SEND NOW IS JUST $45 US DOLLARS SO THAT WE WILL START SENDING TO YOU YOUR $5000 US DOLLARS DAILY UNTIL YOUR TOTAL FUND OF THREE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND US DOLLARS ($3.500,000.00) IS PAID TO YOU AND IF YOU FAIL TO COMPLY BY SENDING THIS FEE WITHIN THREE DAYS OF THIS ORDER,YOUR TOTAL FUND WOULD BE CONFISCATED AND IT WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO GOVERNMENT PURSE,HE SAID THAT THIS IS THE FINAL ORDER.
SO I URGE YOU TO TRY AND SEE THAT YOU SEND THE $45 US DOLLARS IMMEDIATELY AFTER YOU RECEIVE THIS EMAIL TODAY SO THAT WE WILL FINALIZE EVERY THING TO TODAY,
BY TOMORROW,YOU WILL START TO BE RECEIVING YOUR FIRST $5000 US DOLLARS DAILY,YOU URGE TO RESEND YOUR CURRENT INFORMATION SUCH AS YOUR PHONE NUMBER ADDRESS AND FULL NAME IMMEDIATELY TO AVIOD DELAY.
Your name...................
Country.....................
Phone no....................
Address/city................
Age/sex.....................
BELOW ARE THE PAYMENT INFORMATION TO SEND THE $45 US DOLLARS OK,
RECIVER NAME..............PRINCE JOHN
CITY................COTONOU
COUNTRY.........BENIN REPUBLIC
QUESTION........WHAT COLOR
ANSWER.............GREEN
AMOUNT...........$45
MTCN............
WAITING TO RECEIVE THE PAYMENT INFORMATION IMMEDIATELY OK,
MR MAJOR MAYOR.
Phone No . +229 688 76035
FOREIGN OPERATION MANAGER
WESTERN UNION OFFICE Benin Republic
THIS IS OUR CONDUCT CODE ( 829)
Western Union®
Welcome to Western Union
Reply To This Email Address Here ; officenote16@yahoo.com

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