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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: "UN AUDIT UNITS" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <www.infocentreaunitsdpt@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 9 Apr 2010 14:44:56 +0100
Subject: READ CAREFULLY AND RES[POND ASAP..(UN AUDIT CENTRE).

UNITED NATIONS
(WORLD BANK ASSISTED PROGRAMMED)
DIRECTORATE OF INTERNATIONAL
PAYMENT AND TRANSFERS.
UNITED NATIONS LIAISONS OFFICE
ABUJA NIGERIA
WIRE TRANSFER/AUDIT UNIT
Our Ref: WB/NF/UN/XX027
Fax: 00234448700682

DEAR VALUED BENEFICIARY,

WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE DELAY OF YOUR PAYMENT AND ALL THE INCONVENIENCES AND HICCUPS THAT WE MIGHT HAVE CAUSED YOU.

HOWEVER, WE WERE HAVING SOME MINOR PROBLEMS WITH OUR PAYMENT SYSTEM, WHICH IS INEXPLICABLE, AND HAVE HELD US STRANDED AND INDOLENT, NOT HAVING THE PREREQUISITE TO DEVOTE OUR 100% ENDOWMENT IN ACCREDITING FOREIGN PAYMENTS.

WE NOW WISH TO NOTIFY YOU THAT YOUR OVER DUE INHERITANCE/CONTRACT FUNDS HAS FINALLY BEEN GAZETTED TO BE RELEASED AND TRANSFERED TO YOU WITHOUT ANY MORE HITCHES AS PREVIOUSLY ENCOUNTERED.

WE APOLOGIZE ONCE AGAIN AS THE SQUARE PEG IS NOW IN SQUARE HOLES AND CAN BE ACCELERATED SO THAT YOUR PAYMENT CAN BE PROCESSED AND RELEASED TO YOU AS SOON AS YOU RESPOND TO THIS LETTER. ALSO NOTE THAT FROM THE RECORD IN OUR FILE, YOUR APPROVED OUTSTANDING PAYMENT IS VALUED USD$10,700.000.00 (TEN MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS).

MEANWHILE,DURING THE RECTIFICATION OF OUR PAYMENT SYSTEM WE DISCOVERED THAT ONE MR.PETER WOO HAS FORWARDED HIS BANKING INFORMATIONS TO OUR BANK STATING THAT YOU INSTRUCTED HIM TO CLAIM THIS FUNDS ON YOUR BEHALF. PLEASE FIND BELOW HIS BANKING INFORMATION FOR YOUR-RE-CONFIRMATION:

INDO-CHINA GROUP LTD,
A/C #:USD114-102-5567-8, BANK
NAME: STANDARD CHATTERED BANK, 138-141 1ST FLOOR,
EDINBURGH TOWER, THE LANDMARK, 15 QUEENS ROAD, CENTRAL
HONG KONG, SWIFT
CODE: SCBL 11K111.

YOU ARE REQUIRED TO CONFIRM IF IN DEED YOU AUTHORIZED MR.PETER WOO TO CLAIM YOUR FUNDS ON YOUR BEHALF TO AVOID MAKING PAYMENT INTO ANY WRONG ACCOUNTS BECAUSE YOUR NAME WAS FOUND IN THE ORIGINAL LIST OF BENEFICIARY WHOSE FUND IS OVER DUE FOR PAYMENT. WE WANT TO STATE CATEGORICALLY THAT WE SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY MISS-DIRECTION OF TRANSFER DUE TO YOUR FAILURE TO GIVE US PROPER DIRECTIVE/RECONFIRMATION OF YOUR DETAILS,ELSE WE SHALL COMMENCE TRANSFER MODALITY WITH MR PETER WOO ON YOUR BEHALF.

IN VIEW OF THIS YOU ARE REQUESTED TO ADVICE US IMMEDIATELY FOR APPROPRIATE CORRECTION, IF ANY, AND SEND US EMAIL FOR PROPER RECTIFICATION OF THE TRANSFER IN YOUR DETAILS SO THAT YOUR FUND VALUED USD$10,700.000.00 (TEN MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS) WILL BE REMITTED INTO YOUR NOMINATED BANK ACCOUNT UPON THE DUE PROCESSING OF YOUR PAYMENT WITHIN 7 BANK WORKING DAYS.

RESPOND TO THIS MAIL WITH YOUR CONTACT TELEPHONE NUMBER FOR EASY COMMUNICATION. AS SOON AS WE READ FROM YOU, WE WILL COMMENCE WITH ALL NECESSARY TRANSFER PROCEDURES WITHIN 7 WORKING DAYS.

BEST REGARDS,

REV. STEVEN YOUNG
{DIRECTOR}
UNITED NATIONS AUDIT UNIT
ABUJA NIGERIAN.


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