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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: US AMBASSADOR TO NIGERIA <terencepatrickmcculey@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: terencepatrickmcculley@hotmail.com
Date: Sat, 2 Apr 2011 17:59:22 +0100 (BST)
Subject: ATTN: GOOD NEWS FOR YOU!


United States Consulate General Lagos
2 Walter
Harrington Crescent
Victoria Island, Lagos Nigeria.
 
Dear Beloved,
 
My name is Terence Patrick McCulley, the new United States Ambassador
to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The United States Senate had confirmed my
nomination on August 5 2010 after being nominated for this position by U.S.
President Barack Obama on June 28, 2010. My credentials as the new Ambassador
appointed were presented to His Excellency President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan at
the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Nigeria, on November 2, 2010.
 
I am a career member of the senior Foreign Service with the rank of
Minister-Counselor whose diplomatic career has been spent mostly in Africa or
working on African issues. I served most recently as the Deputy Chief of Mission
at the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark. Prior to this, I was the U.S.
Ambassador to Mali, and I have served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S.
Embassies in Tunisia, Senegal and Togo. Other overseas postings include Niger,
South Africa, India and Chad. In Washington, I was the senior desk officer for
Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo), and Deputy Coordinator for Iraq
Assistance. I hold a Bachelor of Arts degree in European history and French
language and literature in University of Oregon in Eugene, and I also attend the
University? DE Haute Bretagnein Rennes, France, from 1979-1980 as a Rotary
Foundation Graduate Fellow, and also attend the Fletcher School of Law and
Diplomacy. My identity can be verified by simply clicking on the URL link
below:
 
http://nigeria.usembassy.gov/biography.html
 
PLEASE SEND YOUR CELL PHONE NUMBER AND THE ADDRESS WHERE YOU WANT ME
TO BRING THE PACKAGE.
(1)Full
Name:................
(2)Address:..................
(3)Phone
Number:.............

However, following the resolution of the meeting held with His
Excellency President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan at the Presidential Villa in Abuja
yesterday with some members of the Federal House of Senate, an agreement was
reached that the sum of $500,000.00 USD must be paid out to you in the form of a
compensation for all the years you have wasted in waiting for your funds to be
released. Hence, the $500,000.00 USD compensation fund has been instructed to be
paid out to you in the form of a CERTIFIED INTERNATIONAL BANK DRAFT drawn on
Standard Chartered Bank. The said BANK DRAFT will be packaged inside a U.S
Embassy Official Envelope to be sent to you via Postal Mail at no cost to your
mailing address. And the time frame for delivery is 72 hours, which is 3 days
since it would be sent via a Postal Mail Service.
 
Meanwhile, a "Custom Clearance Certificate" must be obtained from the
Nigerian Customs Authority at a fee of $220.00 USD for a full clearance
certification on the BANK DRAFT. Hence, the $220.00 dollar fee must be paid
within 24 hours upon your receipt of this notification via western union or
Money Gram, so that all necessary arrangement can be made ahead of time.The fee
should be sent directly to the "Embassy Protocol Officer" with the below
information:

Recipient's Name:............. John
Nze
Destination:..................Lagos - Nigeria
Test
question:................Year
Test answer:..................2011
Amount:
......................$120.00 dollars
Mtcn 10 digits fill in here:
..............
 
Please take note that the "Custom Clearance Certificate" and the BANK
DRAFT will be packaged together inside the U.S Embassy Official Envelope for
immediate dispatch to your mailing address. Hence, you are advised to comply as
requested to enable me discharge my official duty accordingly.
 
Congratulations!!!
Respectfully yours,
Terence Patrick McCulley
US, AMBASSADOR TO NIGERIA

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