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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: demion1@zipmail.com.br
Date: Sat, 1 Mar 2008 10:35:30 +0200
Subject: =?iso-8859-1?Q?MY=20DEAR=20GOOD=20FRIEND=2C?=



MY DEAR GOOD FRIEND,

HOW ARE YOU TODAY? I AM WRITING TO INFORM YOU THAT I HAVE
PAID THE FEE
FOR YOUR CHEQUE DRAFT. AND I WENT TO THE BANK TO CONFIRM
IF THE CHEQUE
HAS EXPIRED OR GETTING NEAR TO EXPIRE AND MRS SANDRA
MATTHEW THE
DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL BANK OF WEST AFRICAN STATES (BCEAO)
TOLD ME THAT
BEFORE THE CHEQUE WILL GET TO YOUR HAND THAT IT WILL
EXPIRE. SO I TOLD HIM TO
CASH THE US$2.5MILLION US DOLLARS TO CASH PAYMENT TO AVOID
LOSTING THIS
FUNDS.

HOWEVER, ALL THE NECESSARY ARRANGEMENT OF DELIVERING THE
US$2.5MILLION
US DOLLARS IN CASH WAS MADE WITH FEDEX COURIER SERVICES
COMPANY LTD.
IN COTONOU BENIN REPUBLIC, MRS SANDRA MATTHEW THE DIRECTOR
OF CENTRAL
BANK OF WEST AFRICAN STATES (BCEAO) COTONOU HAVE TO
PACKAGE THE SUM OF
US$2.5MILLION US DOLLARS IN CASH FOR ME. THEN SHE ALSO
AGREED TO HELP
ME TO REGISTER THE CONSIGNMENT BOX WITH FEDEX COURIER
SERVICES COMPANY
LTD. INFACT I'M HAPPY THAT EVERY MOVEMENT I MADE GOES
NORMALLY.
AS FOR OUR AGREEMENT WITH THE FEDEX COURIER SERVICES
COMPANY LTD. THEY
PROMISED THAT YOUR CONSIGNMENT WILL LEAVE THIS COUNTRY ON
MONDAY NEXT
WEEK, BELLOW IS THE CONTACT OF THE FEDEX SERVICE.

ATTN: REV. DR. DOUGLAS HALL
TEL: +: +229-93-905158
EMAIL:FEDEX.SERVICE1171@YAHOO.FR
WEBSITE: WWW.FEDEX.COM

PLEASE, SEND THEM YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION TO ABLE THEM
LOCATE YOU
IMMEDIATELY THEY ARRIVED IN YOUR COUNTRY WITH YOUR BOX
.THIS IS WHAT
THEY NEED FROM YOU.

1. YOUR FULL NAME
2. YOUR HOME ADDRESS.
3. YOUR CURRENT HOME TELEPHONE NUMBER.
4. YOUR CURRENT OFFICE TELEPHONE.
5. A COPY OF YOUR PICTURE

NOTE.FEDEX COURIER SERVICES COMPANY LTD.DON'T KNOW THE
CONTENTS OF THE
BOX.I REGISTERED IT AS A BOX OF AN FAMILY VALUABLES. THEY
DON'T KNOW
IT CONTENTS MONEY. THIS IS TO AVOID THEM DELAYING WITH THE
BOX.
REMEMBER THAT I HAVE PAID ALL THE REQUIRED FEE EXCEPT THE
SECURTI KEEPING FEE OF
150 DOLLARS WHISH THEY INSISTED THAT I WILL NOT PAY
BECAUSE THEY DID
NOT KNOW WHEN YOU WILL CONTACT THEM.PLEASE DONT BE
CONFUSED BY ANY PERSON
TO SEND ANY OTHER FEE EXCEPT THE 150 DOLLARS.


YOU CALL THE DIRECTOR OF THE COMPANY WITH THIS LINE:
+229-93-905158

THANKS AND REMAIN BLESSED.
BARR.UGOCHUKWU GARRY (ESQ)





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