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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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "money transfer control number" (this will cost you money - that's what the scam is about)
  • "transfer of your funds" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "your urgent reply" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "central bank of nigeria" (the name of a person or institution often appearing 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.
  
• Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
• 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.
  • +2348022289586 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)
• This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
  • govcharles_cbn@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Charles Soludo <govcharles_cbn@yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 20 Aug 2006 11:45:25 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: VERY URGENT






FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA
CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA
INTERNATIONAL REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT CORPORATE HEAD QUARTERS TINUBU SQUARE,
MARINA LAGOS NIGERIA.
TEL: 234-80-22289586

Attn: Justin Thyme.

I received your mail but i want to inform you that i have changed my private email address from ( charles_soludo@speedymail.org) to this:( govcharles_cbn@yahoo.com) for some security reasons and measures. so i dont want you to reply or send me emails there anymore all emails should be sent to me via my new private and secured email account :( govcharles_cbn@yahoo.com).

Meanwhile, i am happy for you that you have been able to raise the money required of you to get your transfer of your funds to your bank account and i also want to let you know that this is the final payment that you are going to make in order to get your funds ( $25m )into your bank account.

You have to send the funds to the bank account details which i will give to you tommorow but meanwhile, i want you to go to any any nearest western union outlet first thing on monday morning and send 5,000 usd out of the 50,000 usd to my personal accountant so that he can start off the processing of your fund transfer. Below is his name and location where you will send the money to on monday morning:

RECEIVERS NAME: NWANKWOAGU CHIBUIKE JASON
ADDRESS: 25 TINUBU SQUARE,MARINA LAGOS STATE
NIGERIA 23401.
TEXT QUESTION: WHAT FOR
TEXT ANSWER: TRANSFER

NOTE: YOU ARE TO SPLIT THE 5,000 INTO 3 PAYMENTS : $1500 FOR TWO AND $2000 FOR THE LAST PAYMENT AND GET BACK TO ME WITH THE THREE MONEY TRANSFER CONTROL NUMBERS( MTCN) SO THAT MY ACCOUNTANT CAN PICK THE MONEY AND START THE TRANSFER OF YOUR FUNDS.

I WILL GIVE YOU A CALL ON MONDAY MORNING, I AM WAITING FOR YOUR URGENT REPLY AND CO-OPERATION.



YOURS SINCERELY,








PROF. CHARLES C. SOLUDO
GOVERNOR CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (CBN)






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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam