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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• 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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "inheritance funds" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "power of attorney" (with your bank details and a power of attorney form criminals sometimes empty bank accounts)
  • "international 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)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.

Fraud email example:

From: "Ali Dr Collins" <collinsali6@mailbox.hu>
Date: Wed, 21 May 2008 10:19:32 +0100
Subject: YOUR URGENT REPLY IS NEEDED.


CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (CBN)
INTERNATIONAL REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT.


LETTER OF ENQUIRY ON INHERITANCE PAYMENT.

WE WRITE TO ENQUIRE FROM YOU IF YOU HAVE SENT SOMEBODY FROM SWITZERLAND

MR SCHEMIRLAT AND SOME NIGERIA REPRESENTATIVE INCLUDING YOUR ATTORNEY

TO THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (CBN) TO MAKE CLAIM ON YOUR BEHALF.

THIS YOUR FUND HAS BEEN CALLED BACK BY THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA

SINCE DECEMBER 2007 FROM ABI BANK LONDON DUE TO THERE INABILITY TO

HANDLE THE
TRANSACTION.

TODAY AT ABOUT 10.00 AM NIGERIA TIME, MR SCHEMIRLAT AND YOUR NIGERIAN

REPRESENTATIVE CAME TO THE BANK SAYING THAT YOU HAVE SENT THEM TO MAKE

CLAIM ON YOUR BEHALF ON YOUR INHERITANCE FUNDS $26.5M USD.

I INITIALLY INSTRUCTED FOR THE RELEASE OF THE FUND TO THEM AS THEY CAME

WITH ALL OBLIGATORY DOCUMENTS, BUT ON CROSS CHECKING YOUR INHERITANCE

FILE, I DISCOVERED THAT THE BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER THEY PRESENTED WAS

DIFFERENT FROM YOUR OWN BANK ACCOUNT AND THE BENEFICARY OF THE ACCOUNT

THEY BROUGHT IS CHANGORI AND CHANGORI THAT'S MAKE US TO SUSPECT THEM,

THIS IS A SERIOUS MATTER IN THE APEX BANK NOW AND WE HAVE GIVEN A

MANDATE TO RELEASE THIS FUND TO YOU BY THE PRESIDENCY.

NOW WE HAVE REQUESTED THEM TO FORWARD A POWER OF ATTORNEY FROM YOU,

INFORMING THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (CBN) OF THE CHANGE IN ACCOUNT

NUMBER.

THIS THEY COULD NOT PRODUCE IMMEDIATELY. I HAVE ASKED THEM TO COME BACK

IN TWO DAYS TIME, THIS IS TO ENABLE US CONTACT YOU AND VERIFY HOW

GENUINE THESE TWO PEOPLE ARE TO YOU, THOUGH THEY PROMISED TO PRODUCE

THE POWER OF ATTORNEY ON THEIR NEXT VISIT TO THE BANK.

I HAVE DEMANDED IT NECESSARY TO CONTACT YOU AND ASCERTAIN THE TRUE

POSITION IN OTHER TO AVOID REMITTING THESE FUNDS INTO A WRONG ACCOUNT.

COULD YOU PLEASE CONTACT THE UNDERSIGNED THROUGH THE MAIL, TO CONFIRM

MATTERS BEFORE WE START TAKING LEGAL ACTION, BUT IF THEY ARE FROM YOU,

KINDLY GIVE THEM THE POWER OF ATTORNEY FOR THE PAYMENT OF THE

INHERITANCE FUNDS INTO THE SWITZERLAND ACCOUNT.

YOU SHOULD NOTE THAT BY THE AUTHORITIES OF THE PRESIDENCY, AND IN LINE

WITH THE ENABLING DECREE OF 512 "A" IN CONSULTATION WITH THE RELEVANT

BODIES;

THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (CBN), THE NATIONAL ECONOMIC INTELLIGENCE

COMMITTEE (NEIC) AND THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANCE (FMF), WE HAVE

RESOLVED THAT ALL OVERDUE INHERITANCE PAYMENTS BE RELEASED THIS

QUARTER IN ABSOLUTE OBEDIENCE TO THE I.M.F AND WORLD BANK MANDATORY

CONDITIONALITIES OF SERVICE TO OUR FOREIGN CAPITAL DEBTS. BASED ON

THIS, THIS OFFICE HAS BEEN MANDATED BY THE PRESIDENCY TO HANDLE ALL

PAYMENTS DUE TO FOREIGN INHERITANCE.

GOING THROUGH YOUR RECORD WITH GOLF BANK PLC WE FIND OUT THAT YOU HAVE

SPENT SO MUCH MONEY WITH OUT RESULT THAT WAS WHY THE APEX WITH

DIRECTIVE FROM THE PRESIDENCY HAS DECIDED TO HANDLE THIS PAYMENT BY

THEMSELF.ALSO THROUGH OUR OBSERVATION WE FIND OUT THAT YOUR ATTORNEY

BARRSITER ADE IS ALSO MAKING THINGS HARD, THATS, WHY YOU HAVE NOT

RECEIVED THIS FUND.

YOU SHOULD THEREFORE DISREGARD ANY CORRESPONDENCE THAT YOU MAY HAVE OR

MAY COME TO YOU FROM ANY OTHER PERSON OR DEPARTMENT.IF YOU REALLY NEED

THIS MONEY BECAUSE WE HAVE GONE THROUGH YOUR FILE AND WE FIND OUT THAT

YOUARE THE ORIGINAL BENEFICIARY OF THE INHERITANCE FUND.

PLEASE ASSIST US TO EXPEDITE ACTION AND GET BACK TO ME IMMEDIATELY YOU

RECEIVE THIS MAIL NOW.

I AM WAITING FOR YOUR PROMPT RESPONSE AND CO-OPERATION PLEASE REPLY

ME THROUGH THIS E-MAIL ADDRESS;- collinsali01@rediff.com

YOURS FAITHFULLY,

DR.COLLINS ALI
INTERNTIONAL REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam