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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: "INTERNATIONAL FUNDS REGULATORY AUTHORITY" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <imfifra@aol.com>
Date: Mon, 3 May 2010 09:58:49 +0100
Subject: Your over due payment

Imf world regulatory office
International funds regulatory authority
Inter-continental debt reconciliation dept.
From the desk of: honorable Esmond Michael
Director; Imf world regulatory office.

Attention: provision of affidavit of claim certificate for legal cover/ protection of $15.5m in your favour.

After the meeting today, we have reduced the payment for the clearance certificate to $75 so that you can meet up with the payment. Please you are given only 24hours to do this payment so that we can release your $15.5m USD in our care. So we advice you to pay the $75 through the western union money transfer or money gram with the below information and send the payment details to me.

Please your name has been short listed for payment. Please kindly see what you can do to make this payment today. We assured you that this is the only and last payment and please note that this 2010 we are ready and willing to pay out your fund once we receive the payment of $75 only.

My good friend you have suffered enough. I want you to know you have come to the end of the road and your fund must be released to you as soon as you make the payment today.

Visit www.westernunion.com on how to send it.

Name: Mr. David Uzoigwe
Text question: good
Text answer: best
Amount: $75
Address: Lagos state /Nigeria

Please go and send it immediately and send to me the payment details immediately.

We wait for your urgent response immediately today

Esmond Michael
imfifra10@aol.com

Anti-fraud resources: