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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: " Federal Bureau Of Investigation." (may be fake)
Date: Fri, 18 Jun 2010 05:01:02 +0100
Subject: CONTACT TO CLAIM YOUR WINNING BY FBI.

<head>
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<div id="yiv484024217">
<p><b><img height="55" alt="Federal Bureau of Investigation" src="http://www.fbi.gov/images/1b.gif" width="400"><img height="55" src="http://www.fbi.gov/images/2.gif" width="230" useMap="#Map" border="0"></b></p>
<div>
  <b><u>Anti-Terrorist and International Fraud Division.<br>
  <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1221607177_0" style="cursor: hand; border-bottom: medium none">
  <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1221828049_0">Federal Bureau Of Investigation</span></span>.<br>
 
  <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1210721541_0" style="cursor: pointer; border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0,102,204); background: 0% 50%">
  Fredonia, New York</span>. <br>
  <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1210721541_1" style="cursor: pointer; border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0,102,204)">
  <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1221828049_1"></span></span></u><br>
  <br>
  <u>ATTN: BENEFICIARY</u><br>
  <br>
 
  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 $800,000.00 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 a
  Certified Cashier's Check. </b>
</div>
<div>
  &nbsp;</div>
<div>
  &nbsp;</div>
<div>
  <b>Normally, it will take up to 10 business days for an International Check 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 cash the check instantly without
  any delay, henceforth the stated amount of $800,000.00 USD has been deposited
  with Bank Of America.</b></div>
<div>
  &nbsp;</div>
 
<div>
  &nbsp;</div>
<div>
  <b>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 at Bank Of
  America you will be required to settle the following bills directly to the
  Lottery Agent in-charge of this transaction whom is located in
  <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1210721541_2" style="cursor: pointer; border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0,102,204); background: 0% 50%">
  Lagos, Nigeria </span>. According to our discoveries, you were required to pay
  for the following -</b></div>
<div>
  &nbsp;</div>
<div>
  &nbsp;</div>
 
<div>
  <b>(1) Deposit Fee's ( Fee's paid by the company for the deposit into an
  American Bank which is - Bank Of America )</b></div>
<div>
  <b>(2) Cashier's Check Conversion Fee ( Fee for converting the
  <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1221607177_2">Wire Transfer payment</span>
  into a Certified Cashier's Check )</b></div>
<div>
  <b></b></div>
<div>
  &nbsp;</div>
 
<div>
  &nbsp;</div>
<div>
  <b>The total amount for everything is $350.00 (Three Hundred-US Dollars). We
  have tried our possible best to indicate that this $350.00 should be deducted
  from your winning prize but we found out that the funds have already been
  deposited at Bank Of America 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
  <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1221607177_3" style="cursor: hand; border-bottom: 1px dashed #0066cc">
  <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1221828049_3">Western Union Money Transfer</span>
  Or
  <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1221742857_6" style="cursor: hand; border-bottom: 1px dashed #0066cc">
  <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1221828049_4">Money Gram</span></span>.</span></b></div>
 
<div>
  &nbsp;</div>
<div>
  &nbsp;</div>
<div>
  <b>In order to proceed with this transaction, you will be required to contact
  the agent in-charge ( Ray Cooper ) via e-mail. Kindly look below to
  find appropriate contact information:</b></div>
<div>
  &nbsp;</div>
<div>
  &nbsp;</div>
<div>
 
  <b>CONTACT AGENT NAME: Ray Cooper</b></div>
<div>
  &nbsp;</div>
<div>
  <b>E-MAIL ADDRESS: </b>specialaagentray@aol.com </div>
<div>
  &nbsp;</div>
<div>
  &nbsp;</div>
 
<div>
  <b>You will be required to e-mail him with the following information:</b></div>
<div>
  &nbsp;</div>
<div>
  <b>FULL NAME:</b></div>
<div>
  <b>ADDRESS:</b></div>
<div>
  <b>CITY:</b></div>
 
<div>
  <b>STATE:</b></div>
<div>
  <b>ZIP CODE:</b></div>
<div>
  <b><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1221607177_4">DIRECT CONTACT NUMBER</span>:</b></div>
<div>
  &nbsp;</div>
<div>
 
  <b>You will also be required to request
  <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1210721541_3" style="cursor: pointer; border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0,102,204)">
  <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1221828049_8">Western Union</span></span>
  details on how to send the required $350.00 in order to immediately ship your
  prize of $800,000.00 USD via Certified Cashier's Check drawn from Bank Of
  America, also include the following transaction code in order for him to
  immediately identify this transaction : EA2948-910.</b></div>
<div>
  &nbsp;</div>
<div>
  <b>This letter will serve as proof that the <u>
  <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1221828049_9">Federal Bureau Of Investigation</span></u>
 
  is authorizing you to pay the required $350.00 ONLY to Mr. Ray Cooper via
  information in which he shall send to you, if you do not receive your winning
  prize of $800,000.00 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).</b></div>
<div>
  &nbsp;</div>
<div>
  <b>Please find below an authorized signature which has been signed by the
  <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1221607177_6">FBI Director-
  <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1210721541_4" style="cursor: pointer; border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0,102,204)">
  Robert Mueller</span></span>, also below is the
  <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1210721541_5" style="cursor: pointer; border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0,102,204)">
  <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1221828049_11">FBI</span></span> NSB (<span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1221607177_8">National
  Security </span></b>
 
</div>
<p><b> <br><br><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1218245771_9"><u>FBI Director</u> <br>Robert Mueller</span>.</b></p>
<p><img height="150" alt="NSB Seal" src="http://www.fbi.gov/hq/nsb/images/nsb_logo_med.jpg" width="150" align="left">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <img height="47" src="http://www.thehomebuyersrep.com/images/Signature%205.gif" width="147"><u
<p><font size="4"><b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <u>Authorized Signature</u></b></font></p></div>&nbsp;<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div>
  <u><b>NSB SEAL ABOVE</b></u></div>
 
<div>
  <b>NOTE: In order to ensure your check gets delivered to you ASAP, you are
  advised to immediately contact Mr. Ray Cooper via contact information
  provided above and make the required payment of $350.00 to information in
  which he shall provide to you.</b></div>
<p><br></p>
 

Anti-fraud resources: