419 scam: "Homeland.Security" <revfavour@yahoo.com> Charlie English, Homeland Security DirectorT NOWAFT PAPŒë¸"

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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:

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:
- "western union" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "money gram" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "00,000.00" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "you are advise to" (this email uses bad English)
- "certified bank draft" (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
MoneyGram money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. Along with Western Union it is a preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.

Fraud email example:

From: "Homeland.Security" <revfavour@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: homeland.security20@gmail.com
Date: Sat, 19 Jun 2010 19:50:30 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Charlie English, Homeland Security Director

Charlie English, Homeland Security Director
PO Box 18055, Building 2
Atlanta, GA 30316-0055
www.gema.state.ga.us

Attn: Beneficiary,

but you can investigate the above information through internet only, and if there's any furthe information you need from us, you are advise to email us.

This is to Officially inform you that it has come to our notice and we have thoroughly completed an Investigation with the help of our Intelligence Monitoring Network System that you legally won the sum of $14.600,000.00 USD from a Lottery Company outside the United
States of America. During our investigation we discovered that your e-mail won the money from an Online Balloting System and we have authorized this winning to be paid to you via Certified Bank Draft.

Normally, it will take up to 8hours a day for an International Certified Bank Draft to be cashed by your local bank. We have successfully notified this company on your behalf that funds are to be drawn from a registered bank within the United States Of America so as to
enable you receive your winning fund instantly without any delay, henceforth the stated amount of $14.600,000.00 USD has been deposited with them.

We have completed this investigation and you are hereby approved to receive the winning prize as we have verified the entire transaction to be Safe and 100% risk free, due to the fact that the funds have been deposited to them, so you will be required to settle the
following bills directly to the Lottery Agent in-charge of this transaction whom is located in Delta. According to our discoveries, you were required to pay for the following -
(1) Deposit Fee's ( Fee's paid by the company for the deposited)

(2) Certified Bank Draft Conversion Fee ( Fee for converting the Wire Transfer payment into a Certified Bank Draft )
(3) Shipping Fee's ( This is the charge for shipping the Certified Bank Draft to your home address )The total amount for everything is just $300 only.

We have tried our possible best to indicate that this $300 should be deducted from your winning prize but we found out that the funds have already been deposited at Mr. Edward Jones Company and cannot be accessed by anyone apart from you the winner, therefore you will be required to pay the required fee's to the Agent in-charge of this transaction via Money Gram Transfer or Western Union.
In order to proceed with this transaction, you will be required to contact the agent in-charge ( Mr. Edward Jones) via e-mail. Kindly look below to find appropriate contact information:

Contant Agent Name: Mr. Edward Jones
E-MAIL ADDRESS: (mredwardjones12@w.cn)

You will be required to e-mail him with the following information:

FULL NAME:
ADDRESS:
CITY:
STATE:
ZIP CODE:
DIRECT CONTACT NUMBER:
MONTHLY INCOME:
You will also be required to request Money Gram Transfer or Western Union details on how to send the required $300 only in order to immediately ship your prize of $14.600,000.00 USD via Certified Bank Draft drawn from them, also include the following transaction code in order for you to immediately identify this transaction : EA2948-910.This letter will serve as proof that the Homeland Security is authorizing you to pay the required $300 ONLY to Mr. Edward Jones with the information in which he shall send to you,
if you do not receive your winning prize of $14.600,000.00 we shall be held responsible for the loss and this shall invite a penalty of $3,000 which will be made PAYABLE ONLY to you (The Winner).
Charlie English, Homeland Security Director
PO Box 18055, Building 2
Atlanta, GA 30316-0055
www.gema.state.ga.us

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam