419 scam: AMERICAN EMBASSY NEWS CENETER <usaembassyunit@verizon.net> AMERICAN EMBASSY NEWS CENTRE

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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:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
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:
- "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
- "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "federal republic of benin" (Benin, Cameroon, etc. are no Federal Republics, unlike Nigeria where this type of scam was invented)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- +2348085433807 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)
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.
- usaembassymonitor@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: AMERICAN EMBASSY NEWS CENETER <usaembassyunit@verizon.net>
Reply-To: usaembassymonitor@gmail.com
Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:12:52 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: AMERICAN EMBASSY NEWS CENTRE

US EMBASSY
#4 WALTER CARRINGTON STREET
VICTORIA ISLAND.
LAGOS, NIGERIA.
Tel: +234-808 543 3807
Email: usaembassymonitor@gmail.com

Dear Sir/Madam.
I write to inform you that following a meeting with the US Embassy and Federal Republic of Nigeria, Federal Republic of Cote'dvoir and Federal Republic of Benin.The subject of discussion is why American citizens who executed foreign contracts/Inheritance/Lotteries are either paid part payment or not paid at all.

There are series of complaints by the American citizens and other Western World that they have lost some amount of money in pursuit of their payments and this gave rise to the US Government setting up a five man committee to work with the US Embassy here in Lagos, Nigeria.

The primary objective of this committee is to strictly comply to enforce the payment of their original contract sum/Inheritance and Lotteries as the case may be. Members of the committee are Mr. Philip Bryant, Mr. Jeffery Peterson, Mr. Mac Anthony Tosel, Mr. George Ellis and Mr. Donald Vann, all the members of the committee are American citizens. Once your claim is verified by this committee and approved for payment and if the above countries Nigeria, Cote'dvoir and Republic of Benin fails to pay you within the stipulated seven days, the USA Government will pay the exact amount in question to you. You are therefore directed to contact the US Embassy Lagos, Nigeria the Head Quarters of the committee on Tel: +234-808 543 3807, Email: usaembassymonitor@gmail.com

Thanks
Yours Faithfully

Mr. Mac Anthony Tosel. (Committee Chairman)

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam