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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
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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.

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
  • "central bank of nigeria" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "abuja" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
  • "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.
  
• 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.
  • +2348033372405 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "Tam West" <tamwest123@msn.com>
Reply-To: cbn_cbn123@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Thu, 09 Feb 2006 12:53:32 +0000
Subject: HAPPY NEW YEAR

 CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA
(NIGERIA APEX BANK)
FOREIGN REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT.
Central Bank Building, Garki Phase 11, Garki Abuja.
Tel: 234-80-33372405 OR 234-1-8040941

                                                                                                                                       
Our Ref: CBN/VOL/02 /10/006                                                 Your Ref:................ 
                                                                                            Date:9th/Feb/2006                 

NOTICE! NOTICE! NOTICE

ATTN: HONOURABLE  CONTRACTORS,

THE INTERNATIONAL REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT OF THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA HEREBY INFORMS ALL

CONTRACTORS THAT THERE HAS BEEN A TOTAL CHANGE IN ADMINISTRATOR (S) WITHIN THE CENTRAL BANK AS

WELL AS CHANGE IN PAYMENT POLICIES.

IT HAS BEEN DISCOVERED THAT POOR ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AS WELL AS GREEDY AND CORRUPT OFFICIALS HAVE

BEEN THE REASON WHY SO MANY CONTRACTORS HAVE NOT BEEN PAID IN YEARS; TO THIS EFFECT THERE ARE

ONGOING CHANGES IN THE GOVERNMENT STRUCTURES FOLLOWING THE READING OF THIS YEAR 2006 NATIONAL

BUDGET.

IT IS THE DUTY OF THIS DEPARTMENT TO INFORM YOU THAT DUE TO THE NEW CHANGES IN PAYMENT POLICIES ALL

OUTSTANDING PAYMENTS DUE TO CONTRACTORS BOTH FOREIGN AND LOCAL WILL BE MADE VIA KTT TRANSFER.THIS

THEREFORE MEANS AN END HAS BEEN PUT TO ANY SORT OF OLD PAYMENTS MODES THAT YOUR COMPANIES HAVE

BEEN USED TO.

WE ARE ALSO WORRIED IF THERE IS ANY LOSS OF DEATH OR DEMISE.

YOU ARE ADVICED TO FURNISH THIS DEPARTMENT WITH YOUR FULL CONTRACT DETAILS (CONTRACT NUMBER,

ACCOUNT DATA, COMPANY DATA AS WELL AS DETAILS OF PROCESSES YOUR COMPANY (S) HAVE BEEN THROUGH) TO

ASSIST US IN EXPEDITING YOUR PAYMENT PROCESS.

YOU ARE EXPECTED TO PROVIDE THIS INFORMATION TO THE OFFICE OF THE HEAD OF OUTSTANDING CONTRACT

PAYMENTS(ELDER TAM DAVID WEST ESQ) INTERNATIONAL REMMITANCE DEPARTMENT CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA

ON TELEPHONE NUMBER:234-80-33372405.

WE DUTIFULLY APOLOGISE FOR ANY INCONVINIENCES CAUSED BY THIS NEW POILICIES.

CONGRATULATIONS!!

THANK YOU,

 

FROM THE DESK OF ELDER,TAM DAVID WEST(ESQ)
HEAD, FOREIGN REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT,
CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA,
TINUBU SQUARE,
LAGOS-NIGERIA.
DIRECT LINES: 234-80-33372405 OR 234-1-8040941

 

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam