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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: "Mr.John Colvin" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <wellsfargobankus000@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 5 Jun 2017 14:27:50 +0100
Subject: COMPENSATIONS PAYMENTS UNIT

UN COMPENSATIONS PAYMENTS UNIT.
REF/PAYMENTS CODE: 02245.
AMOUNT US$2.7 MILLION.
 
Dear Sir,
 
How are you?.You may not understand why this mail came to you.
In regards to the recent meeting between the United Nations and the
New United States Government to restore the dignity and Economy of the
Nations, and also based on the agreement with the World Bank
Assistance to help and make the World a better place for all with the
sole aim of abolishing poverty I send this mail to you.
 
We have been having series of meetings for the past 2weeks which ended
May,5 2017. This email is to all the people that have lost their
properties In the earthquakes and tsunami and people that have been
scammed in any part of the world, the UNITED NATIONS have agreed to
compensate them with the sum of  US$2.7 000,000.00(Two Million Seven
Hundred United States Dollars). Your name and email was in the list
submitted by our Monitoring Team of Economic and Financial Crime
Commission observers, and this is why we are contacting you, this has
been agreed upon and has been signed.
 
You are advised to contact MRS.CANDACE B. BROWN of Wells Fargo Bank,
as she is our representative in USA, contact her immediately for your
funds release, so that the transfer will be made to any of your
designated bank account in any part of the World, the (UN) paying
bank. Herewith the Email Address: wellsfargobankus000@gmail.com
 
Finally, make sure you reconfirm your direct telephone number and your
Identification Card (ID) to the paying Wells Fargo Bank USA to avoid
further delay.
 
Good luck and kind regards,
Mr.John Colvin
(UNITED NATIONS).
UN making the world a better place

Anti-fraud resources: