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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "outstanding contractors" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "your payment is being processed" (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)
  • "to your nominated bank account" (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)
  • "hundred thousand united states dollars" (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)
  • "my direct line" (a "direct line" in a scam usually means an untraceable mobile phone number used by a scammer in an internet cafe, a redirection service number that forwards to a mobile or a free voicemailbox in a different country.)
  • "executive governor" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "central bank of nigeria" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "certified bank draft" (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • immediatecontractpaymentoffice@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • immidiatecontractpaymentofficeon@yahoo.fr

Fraud email example:

From: "PAYMENT OFFICE CBN" <immediatecontractpaymentoffice1@gmail.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: immediatecontractpaymentoffice@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2007 18:21:28 +0300
Subject: YOUR PAYMENT IS READY

CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA
TINUBU SQUARE,VICTORIA ISLAND,LAGOS NIGERIA

FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA
CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA
BRANCH OFFICE ,EGYPT CAIRO
TEL, +20163013932

From the Desk Of:
Royles Okotie
Executive Governor

(CBN) PRIVATE EMAIL:immediatecontractpaymentoffice@gmail.com <http://us.f392.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=immidiatecontractpaymentofficeon@yahoo.fr&YY=88764&y5beta=yes&y5beta=yes&order=down&sort=date&pos=0>

IMMEDIATE CONTRACT PAYMENT CONTRACT NO: MAV/NNPC/FGN/MIN/009

ATTENTION: VALUABLE CONTRACTOR,


We Apologies, for the delay of your payment and all the Inconveniences
and Inflict that we might have indulge you through. However, we were
having some minor problems with our payment system, which is
Inexplicable, and have held us stranded and Indolent, not having the Aspiration to
devote our 100% Assiduity in accrediting foreign contract payments. We
Apologies once again.

From the Records of outstanding contractors due for payment with the
federal
government of Nigeria, your name and company was discovered as next in
list of the outstanding contractors who have not yet received their
payments.

I wish to inform you now that the square peg is now in square whole and
can be voguish for that your payment is being processed and will be
released to you as soon as you respond to this letter. Also note that from
my record in my file your outstanding contract payment is
US$5.5million(Five million five hundred thousand United States dollars).

As soon as you respond to this mail we shall alert our office in the
USA where your funds will be remitted to you. Kindly re-confirm to me the
followings:

(1) Your full name.
(2) Phone, fax and mobile #.
(3) Company's name, position and address.
(4) Profession, age and marital status.
(5) Copy of int'l passport or any scanned identity to prove yourself.

As soon as this information is received, your payment will be made to
you in a certified bank draft or wired to your nominated bank account
directly from central bank of Nigeria.

As so on as you receive this letter for further discussion, get back to
me on this e-mail address: immediatecontractpaymentoffice@gmail.com
and also my direct line is +20163013932 OR +20126633135

YOURS SINCERELY,

Royles Okotie,
GOVERNOR, CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (CBN).

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam