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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
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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "outstanding contractors" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
  • "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.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "Usman Lawson" <usmanahmedlawson2@gazeta.pl>
Reply-To: direct_acess2usmanahmed@yahoo.fr
Date: Sat, 31 May 2008 17:47:02 +0100
Subject: RE:- PAYMENT AUTHENTICATION.


FROM THE OFFICE OF DIRECTOR OF FINANCE (NNPC)
FOREIGN REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT TINUBU SQUARE,
VICTORIA ISLAND, LAGOS-NIGERIA.
NNPC CONTRACT #: MAV/NNPC/FGN/MIN/009,
SWIFT CODE: BPH KPL PK, OUR REF: NNPC/IRD/NNX/21/08



WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE DELAY OF YOUR PAYMENT AND ALL THE INCONVENIENCES WE
MIGHT HAVE PUT YOU THROUGH, MEAN WHY WE WERE HAVING SOME MINOR PROBLEMS WITH
OUR PAYMENT SYSTEM WHICH IN ALL CASE NOT MEETING UP WITH FOREIGN PAYMENT, WE
APOLOGIZE ONCE AGAIN.

FROM THE RECORDS OF OUTSTANDING CONTRACTORS DUE PAYMENT WITH THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA, YOUR NAME AND COMPANY WAS DISCOVERED AS NEXT ON THE
LIST OF THE (13) OUTSTANDING CONTRACTORS WHO HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED THEIR
PAYMENTS DURING THE (8) YEARS TENURE OF THE PREVIOUS
ADMINISTRATION IN OFFICES PLEASE BEAR WITH US FOR MAKING THE INITIAL
CONTACT THROUGH EMAIL.

MEANWHILE, A WOMAN CAME TO MY OFFICE A FEW DAYS AGO WITH A LETTER,
CLAIMING TO BE YOUR TRUE REPRESENTATIVE. HERE IS HER INFORMATIONS BELOW:


NAME ANNE ROBINSON
BANK NAME: CITIBANK, ARIZONA, USA.
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 6503809008.

PLEASE, DO RECONFIRM TO THIS OFFICE, AS A MATTER OF URGENCY IF THIS
WOMAN IS FROM YOU SO THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL NOT BE HELD
RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING INTO THE WRONG ACCOUNT NAME IF THIS WOMAN IS NOT
YOUR REP, YOU ARE REQUESTED TO FILL AND SEND THIS INFORMATIONS FOR
VERIFICATIONS PURPOSES SO THAT YOUR FUND, VALID ($12.5MILLION) US
DOLLARS WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO YOUR DESIGNATED ADDRESS.

KINDLY RE-CONFIRM TO ME THE FOLLOWINGS:

1) YOUR FULL NAME:
2) PHONE, FAX AND MOBILE NO:
3) COMPANY NAME:
4) PROFESSION, AND MARITAL STATUS:
5) WORKING ID? I/INT'L PASSPORT:

AS SOON AS THIS INFORMATION IS RECEIVED, YOUR PAYMENT WILL BE MADE TO
YOU TO AVOID ANY WRONG PAYMENT IN THIS FIRST QUARTER PAYMENT OF THE
YEAR. HOWEVER; WE SHALL PROCEED TO ISSUE ALL PAYMENTS DETAILS TO THE
SAID MRS.ANNE ROBINSON, IF WE DO NOT HEAR FROM YOU WITHIN THE NEXT THREE
WORKING DAYS FROM TODAY.

WE ARE SORRY FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE THE DELAY IN TRANSFERRING OF YOUR
FUND MUST HAVE CAUSED YOU.

BEST REGARDS.
DR USMAN LAWSON.
(NNPC DIRECTOR OF FINANCE)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam