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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:

Fraud email example:

From: "Douglas" <zu.douglas@gmail.com>
Reply-To: <zumadouglas@live.com>
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 2009 13:32:37 +0400
Subject: WE NEED CONFIRMATION FROM YOU.

WE NEED CONFIRMATION FROM YOU.
 
Attn:BENEFICIARY
 
Compliments of the day and how are you doing
 
With regards to the above mentioned subject. I would like to bring to your notice about the sudden changes in the particulars as in, your banking details, beneficiary etc, in the  approved payment file with us in your favour. Through the appointment of the WORLD BANK AUDITORS we as a Committee was set up here in Dubai UAE, which has been mandated to take over foreign payment owed by any country in the world for Effectiveness and to reduce fraudulent acts from any country here, and we are paying this debts from their foreign reserve accounts with the World Bank.
 
In this regard, I wish to notify you about a fund that was deposited in your details for a foreign payment via our paying committee that will be visiting your zone soonest. Your information was indicated as the approved receiving beneficiary of this money.Today, we have been contacted by our paying team there that they have made several attempts to contact you on your provided telephone number for advise and other information regarding the release of your money, but you could  not be reached. This necessitated myself sending you this email. The money in question is about to be declared a ghost or unclaimed fund but I deemed it very necessary to try and notify you about this development as to enable you to open up communication with our office immediately by yourself and find out what is going on. Otherwise, let me know if the bank or our committee paying in your zone has finally gotten in touch with you recently. If not confirm your direct or mobile telephone number to r each you urgently.  
 
The urgent it becomes that you get back without delay and my main aim of contacting you today is because of an application which was recently filed to us, by your representative Mr. Alfred Smith of United Kingdom .The application was backed by a Power of Attorney, which supposed to have come from you the original payment beneficiary based on our record, and it was due to an automobile accident that you had which almost claimed your life. MR. SMITH came to change your particulars and details for receiving the approved payment in your favour to your CITI BANK OF NEW YORK, ACCOUNT NO: 652 007123 at (111 WALL STREET). He also initiated a move to replace previous information as the beneficiary with IMPROMUNDI UK LTD, as the new and legitimate beneficiary nominated by you to receive the funds payment, please confirm.
 
However, giving you this information is not because of any doubts of his claims on your behalf, but we require a final confirmation of facts from you as the original beneficiary as in our records. This is to avoid payment errors often made in the past, which resulted into wrongful or diversion of allocation to wrong beneficiary. We are taking our time in following this supposedly instruction from you to avoid such mistakes occurring in your case. You are therefore, advised to get in back as soon as you receive this information, as we awaits further confirmation from you. You must however bear it in mind that the payment which was approved to pay out in your name among other beneficiary's is about to be dispatched to your allocated paying center in your zone there, and it needs to pay to you directly in person on identification by our financial management experts that is preparing for visit to your area Before the sudden changes in particulars was noticed.
 
Having made these clarifications, please do confirm immediately if you have provided MR. ALFRED SMITH with the details about this your outstanding transaction, and subsequently equipped him with this Power of Attorney to change the information as informed. Finally note that all outstanding charges as tax of vat etc which was formerly imposed by the bank here on your payment has been suspended until you meet with our paying team over there in and complete the necessary formalities, sign for your fund release order and receive payment, thereafter, you pay out of the funds you received our total transaction service and handling fee of 2% of your payment value as received.
 
You have been well informed. Therefore, you are expected to reply as soon as you receive this information for acknowledgement and more details.
 
 
Yours faithfully,
 
Zuma Douglas.(Secretary).
Tel;+971 555 304117

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