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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
  (+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)
  • "atm payment department" (this phrase is often used in the ATM card payment scam)
  • "card center will send you an atm card" (this phrase is often used in the ATM card payment scam)
  • "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)
  • "you are advice to " (this email uses bad English)
  • "central bank of nigeria" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "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.
  
• 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.
  • revstevejones@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:58:28 +0100
Subject: YOUR PAYMENT VIA HSBC-VISA ATM DEBIT CARD.


Central Bank of Nigeria=20
Tinubu Square, Victoria Island,
Lagos - Nigeria
Office of the Deputy Governor
from the Desk of:
ALHAJI. MUSA USMAN

Attention: Beneficiary,

=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=
=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 YOUR PAYMENT VIA HSBC=
-VISA ATM DEBIT CARD.

This is to inform you about your email success in our computer balloting =
held on 1st Feb 2008. It was an internet draw by the combination of the I=
nternational Monetary funds (IMF) and the Microsoft words. However, your =
email address was approved as one of the winners hence you are being cont=
acted. This is a Millennium Scientific and a promotional program aimed at=
encouraging internet users; therefore you do not need to buy ticket to e=
nter for it.

As a matter of fact, account normalization of your banking details has be=
en delayed by International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Financial Services Au=
thority (UK). This has made it necessary for your payment to be=C2=A0 pro=
grammed into HSBC Visa Atm Debit Card. The total fund in question is $8,3=
00,000.00 this is the first part of the Payment of which the balance will=
subsequently be paid into same account.

The Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN), working in relationship with HSBC Lon=
don and also Leeds Bank in London has concluded to issue you a VISA CARD =
with which you can access your Star prize /beneficiary amount$8,300,000.0=
00 This card center will send you an ATM card which you will use to withd=
raw your money in any ATM machine in any part of the world, but the maxim=
um is Twenty Thousand United States Dollars ($20,000.00) per day. So if y=
ou like to receive your fund in this way, please let us know by contactin=
g the ATM payment department and also send the following information as l=
isted below:

1. Full name and full country name
2. Phone and fax number
3. Address where you want them to send the ATM card to (P.O box is not ac=
ceptable)
4. Your age and current occupation.
You are advice to contact the director of ATM CARD payment officer for mo=
re directives,

Rev.Steven Jones, Director, ATM payment department
Email address,revstevejones@hotmail.com

The ATM card payment center was mandated to issue out $8,300,000.00 as pa=
rt payment for this fiscal year 2008 to you so bear with us. Also for you=
r information, you have to stop any further communication with any other =
person(S) or office(S) to avoid any hitches in receiving your payment.

Note that because of impostors, we hereby issued you our code of conduct,=
which is (ATM-811) so you have to indicate this code when contacting the=
card center by using it as your subject.

We anticipate your total compliance to this message immediately.

YOURS SINCERELY,
ALHAJI. MUSA USMAN
ASSISTANT DEPUTY GOVERNOR [CBN

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam