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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: "BANK PHB UPDATE" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <bankphbremittanceunit2002@fastwebmail.it>
Date: Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:25:50 -0800
Subject: BANK PHB UPDATE

FROM DR. HENRY DURU
DIRECTOR, REMITTANCE UNIT
BANK PHB 
Attention: Beneficiary.
 
                    IMMEDIATE PAYMENT NOTIFICATION VALUED AT (US$18.5 MILLION)
 
It is my modest obligation to write you this letter in regards to the authorization of your owned payment through our most respected financial institution BANK PHB {PlatinumHabib Bank Plc}). I am Dr. Henry Duru, the Director Remittance Unit BANK PHB {PlatinumHabib Bank Plc}. The Nigerian, in conjunction with the British Government, US GOVERNMENT, WORLD BANK, UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATION on foreign payment matters, has empowered my bank after much consultation and consideration, to handle all foreign payments and release them to their appropriate beneficiaries with the help of a representative from Federal Reserve Bank. As the newly appointed/accredited International Paying Bank, we have been instructed by the World Governing Bodies, together with the Committee on International Debt and the Board of Foreign Winnings, Inheritance and Contract Review Panel, to release your overdue funds with immediate effect; with this exclusive Vide Transaction No:WHA/NIG/209 and Tr ansfer Allocation No:ICBPLC/X44/7
 
Be informed that we have verified your payment file as directed to us, and your email is next on the list of our outstanding fund beneficiaries to receive their payment before the end of this second term of the year 2009. Be advised that because of too many funds beneficiaries due for payment at this first quarter of the year, you are entitled to receive the sum of Eighteen Million five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars (US$18,500,000.00) only and to facilitate the process of this transaction, please kindly re-confirm the following information below:
 
1) Your full Name:......................... ................................ .................
2) Your Full Address:....................... ............................... .................
2) Phones, Fax and Mobile No:........................... .....................................
3) Profession, Age and Marital Status:........................ ...............................
4) Copy of any valid form of your Identification:............... .............................
5) Your banking details where you want bank PHB to transfer...................................
 
Upon our receipt of the above mentioned information, your payment will be processed and released to you without delays. Be also informed that you are required to discontinue further communication with any other person(s) or office so as to avoid distortion of data; you are required to provide the above information for your transfer to take place through Bank to Bank Remittance directly from Bank PHB, Your prompt response to the above directive is highly imperative and indicate if you want your fund to program into a DEBIT CARD in case you do not want Bank to Bank Transfer {KTT}.
Yours Faithfully,
 
Dr. Henry Duru
DIRECTOR, REMITTANCE UNIT
BANK PHB {PlatinumHabib Bank Plc}
 

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