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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
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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:

• 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)
  • "million 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)
  • ",000,000" (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)
  • "00,000.00" (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)
  • "contact me immediately" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "affidavit " (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "high court" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "federal high court" (This court is often mentioned in '419' scams to give the victim a reason why he/she should send thousands of dollars to the scammers. A 'Federal High Court' exists in Germany and Nigeria, but not in other countries, such as the UK, Spain, Netherlands, Senegal, Benin, South Africa or other countries where fake lawyers in scams often claim to be based. )
  • "foreign exchange" (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)
  • "abuja" (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.
  
• 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.
  • a.okubanjo08@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Adebayo Okubanjo" <privatemail11@officemails217.net>
Reply-To: a.okubanjo08@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2008 08:35:10 +0000
Subject: RE: ENDORSEMENT OF THE FINAL ORIGINAL (HARD) COPIES OF YOUR CONTRACT
CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS.




Office of the Presidency
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA
Aso Rock Villa, Abuja – Nigeria
Our Ref: NNPC/001/12/05 Date:20TH August, 2008

From the Desk of the Chairman,
Paymaster General
Honorable Adebayo Okubanjo
E-mail :( a.okubanjo08@gmail.com )

ATTENTION: HONOURABLE

RE: ENDORSEMENT OF THE FINAL ORIGINAL (HARD) COPIES OF YOUR CONTRACT CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS.

I have gone through your payment file as directed by the Presidency/Holding Bank, and seen that it is 100% impossible for your money to be released due to some irregularities detected in your file. During our investigation, we found out that you have spent so much in trying to realize your payment, which did not even reflect in your file, but I have an offer, which will at least help you recover your financial stand loses.

This offer is an amount from Federal Government left over. It is a total sum of US$100,000,000.00 (One-Hundred Million United States Dollars), which will be shared between you and I in the ratio of 50% - 50%. This amount is not from your payment or has any thing related to your payment rather it is a left over from the amount used in paying local contractors and it is directly under my custody.

I am offering you this because I have seen that your payment file has been cancelled due to the anomalies associated with it and revocation of the Central Bank of Nigeria's foreign exchange dealership license due to the corrupt ineptudeness of its officials. The only things needed for this $55 million to be transferred to your account under 48 hours are as follow: -

1. A bank account co-ordinates where the money will be transferred into.

2. US$750.00 (Seven Hundred and Fifty United States Dollars Only), which will be needed to normalize and remove the pnd (Post-No-Debit) from the account and also to obtain a Sworn Affidavit of Ownership of funds at the Federal High Court of Justice.

The funds are on automatic Post-No-Debit order, which needs to be removed. For your information, this is not a contract payment. Therefore there will be no bureaucracy or misfortune. Please note that if you are willing to make this deal with me, you should contact me immediately on the above telephone and email furnishing me with your account co-ordinates. Also be informed that this transaction will take us just 48 hours to accomplish. If you wish for me to furnish the account co-ordinates where the money is presently lodged for verification, I will do so to clear any doubts or fears from your past experience.

Yours truly,
Honorable Adebayo Okubanjo
Foreign Debt Reconciliation Panel
Email: a.okubanjo08@gmail.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam