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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "WORLD DEBT RECOVERY COMMITTEE" <boxoffice1234@att.net>
Reply-To: <wdrc002@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Sat, 12 Feb 2000 03:16:09 -0800
Subject: CONTACT US FOR THE RELEASE OF YOUR UNCLAIMED FUND

WORLD DEBT RECOVERY COMMITTEE
98540 EAST OLYMPIA
WASHINGTON DC
USA

UNCLAIMED FUND NOTIFICATION

I am Mr. Harold Martins of the newly inaugurated World Debt Recovery
committee (WDRC). My committee has a mandate to recover unpaid debts
associated with NNPC contracts, Lottery fund, inheritance fund, loans and
grants etc ranging from $1M-$19.5M owed to various beneficiaries and
companies across the globe (Asia, Europe, USA, Africa, and Australia) and
submit the list of the unpaid beneficiaries/companies to the 2 appointed
official paying Banks for immediate payment of the fund.

In the course of our investigation, your email address/particulars were
shortlisted among the first fifteen individuals yet to be paid hence this
email. However, we received a petition today from one Mrs. Christina
Morgan that you are dead. According to her, you died in a plane crash as
such your fund should be paid to her as the apparent heir. She has also
submitted her Bank account with Bank of America for the transfer of the
fund to her.

To avoid undue delay or paying the fund to wrong individual/beneficiary, I
have decided to contact you for confirmation. If I fail to hear from you
after 72 hours, it will be assumed that the petition of Mrs. Morgan is
true and the fund will be paid to her without further delay.

Therefore, if you are still alive, reconfirm your particulars, cell phone#
to reach you and indicate how you want the fund paid to you immediately
for the attention of the paying officer.

Get back to me on email address: wdrc002@yahoo.com.hk


Yours Sincerely
Mr. Harold Martins
(WDRC)

Anti-fraud resources: