419 scam: "Anti-Terrorist and International Fraud Division."<info@unitednation.org> Federal Bureau of Investigation

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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:

This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "western union" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "money gram" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "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)
- "robert mueller" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real FBI will not tell you to contact some email address. If you are in any doubt, contact an FBI field office via www.fbi.gov. )
- "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "cashier's check" (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
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.
- brenda.joke22@gmail.com (Gmail/GoogleMail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: "Anti-Terrorist and International Fraud Division." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <brenda.joke22@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:14:34 -0700
Subject: Federal Bureau of Investigation

Federal Bureau of Investigation
Anti-Terrorist and International Fraud Division.
Federal Bureau Of Investigation.
Seattle, Washington.
Telephone Number : (206) 973-2572

ATTN: BENEFICIARY

This is to Officially inform you that it has come to our notice and we have
thoroughly completed an Investigation with the help of our Intelligence
Monitoring Network System that you legally won the sum of $600,000.00 USD from a

Lottery Company outside the United States of America. During our investigation
we discovered that your e-mail won the money from an Online Balloting System and

we have authorized this winning to be paid to you via a Certified Cashier's
Check.

Normally, it will take up to 10 business days for an International Check to be
cashed by your local bank. We have successfully notified this company on your
behalf that funds are to be drawn from a registered bank within the United
States Of America so as to enable you cash the check instantly without any
delay, henceforth the stated amount of $600,000.00 USD has been deposited with
Bank Of America.

We have completed this investigation and you are hereby approved to receive the
winning prize as we have verified the entire transaction to be Safe and 100%
risk free, due to the fact that the funds have been deposited at Bank Of America

you will be required to settle the following bills directly to the Lottery Agent

in-charge of this transaction whom is located in Lagos, Nigeria. According to
our discoveries, you were required to pay for the following -

(1) Deposit Fee's ( Fee's paid by the company for the deposit into an American
Bank which is - Bank Of America )
(2) Cashier's Check Conversion Fee ( Fee for converting the Wire Transfer
payment into a Certified Cashier's Check )
(3) Shipping Fee's ( This is the charge for shipping the Cashier's Check to your

home address and this fee includes Insurance )

The total amount for everything is $350.00 (Three Hundred Fifty-US Dollars).. We have
tried our possible best to indicate that this $350.00 should be deducted from
your winning prize but we found out that the funds have already been deposited
at Bank Of America and cannot be accessed by anyone apart from you the winner,
therefore you will be required to pay the required fee's to the Agent in-charge
of this transaction via Western Union Money Transfer Or Money Gram.

In order to proceed with this transaction, you will be required to contact the
agent in-charge ( Mr. PAUL DANIEL ) via e-mail:brenda.joke22@gmail.com. Kindly
look above to reply
to the appropriate contact information:

CONTACT AGENT NAME: MR. PAUL DANIEL

You will be required to e-mail him with the following information:

FULL NAME:
ADDRESS:
CITY:
STATE:
ZIP CODE:
DIRECT CONTACT NUMBER:

You will also be required to request Western Union details on how to send the
required $350.00 in order to immediately ship your prize of $600,000.00 USD via
Certified Cashier's Check drawn from Bank Of America, also include the following

transaction code in order for him to immediately identify this transaction :
EA2948-910.

This letter will serve as proof that the Federal Bureau Of Investigation is
authorizing you to pay the required $350.00 ONLY to Mr. PAUL DANIEL via
information in which he shall send to you, if you do not receive your winning
prize of $600,000.00 we shall be held responsible for the loss and this shall
invite a penalty of $3,000 which will be made PAYABLE ONLY to you (The Winner).

Please find below an authorized signature which has been signed by the FBI
Director- Robert Mueller, also below is the FBI NSB (National Security

FBI Director
Robert Mueller.

Authorized Signature

NSB SEAL ABOVE
NOTE: In order to ensure your check gets delivered to you ASAP, you are advised
to immediately contact Mr. PAUL DANIEL via contact information provided above
and make the required payment of $350.00 to information in which he shall
provide to you.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam