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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: federal finance <federalmimfinancefmf@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 6 Jul 2006 04:22:15 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: TREAT AS SERIOUS AND URGENT


Attn Justin Thyme,
Dear Sir,
The above subject matter refers.
We write to inform you that we have gone through your records in respect to the release of your USD25 million into your account and the payment of USD75,000 which you have been asked to pay and we advice you to desist from making that payment because we have just found out that you where charged 100% extra of what you are supposed to pay and this office views this as fraudulent.
You are by this memo instructed to desist forthwith from making that payment because i am not going to ask the bank to wire your fund intill i reconcile your book and failure to adhere strictly to this mail will lead you the Finance Ministry cancelling your payment and retrun your fund back to the governemnt excrew account because i will make sure that you do not get your fund no matter how you where convinced on making the payment to them because you are to regret this at the end.
Treat this memo as serious as any thing,while i ask that you revert back to this office immediately for direction.
I wait to hear from you immediately.
Yours Faithfully,
Dr Mrs Ngozi Okonjo Iwuala,
Hon Minister of Finance.





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