419 scam: EFCC <efcc_frontdesk@cpll.cn> ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIMES COMMISSION (EFCC)

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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
- "diplomatic immunity"
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "required fee " (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. )
- "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. )
- "mtcn" (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. )
- "hundred thousand united state dollars" (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)
- ",500,000" (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)
- "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)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- "economic and financial crimes commission" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
- "(efcc)" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
- "farida mzamber waziri" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
- "farida waziri" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
- "diplomatic immunity" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
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.
This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- +2348030938513 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: EFCC <efcc_frontdesk@cpll.cn>
Reply-To: efcc.frontdesk@cpll.cn
Date: Fri, 5 Aug 2011 20:06:02 +0530 (IST)
Subject: ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIMES COMMISSION (EFCC)

ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL
CRIMES COMMISSION
14A AWOLOWO LANE,
IKOYI
Tel: +234 8030938513

NIGERIAN FOREIGN PAYMENT INVES
TIGATION AGENCY

FOR YOUR KIND
ATTENTION,

THIS IS TO INFORM YOU THAT WE RECEIVED YOUR MAIL ON HOW
TO OBTAIN THE DIST DOCUMENT FROM US. PRESENTLY, YOUR FUND IS UNDER THE CUSTODY
OF THE FBI CONCERNING YOUR PAYMENT APPROVAL ORDER. THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF
INVESTIGATIONS(FBI) WASHINGTON
DC BRANCH DEMANDS FOR YOUR DIST DOCUMENT FROM YOU TO BE OBTAINED FROM THE
NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT AND IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS THE EFCC COMMISSION TO
PROCURE IT ON YOUR BEHALF AND FORWARD IT TO THE F.B.I FOR THE RELEASE OF YOUR
FUNDS AND TO CLEAR EVERY INCOMPLETE AND UNCLEAR DETAILS THEY HAVE ON YOUR FUNDS
THAT COULD BE SKEPTICAL TO THEM AS TERRORISM.

MEANWHILE, TO GET THE DOCUMENT IT WILL
ONLY COST YOU THE TOTAL SUM OF $160USD, THIS IS DUE TO THE VALUE OF THE
DOCUMENT REQUIRED. NOTE THAT THIS IS THE ONLY FEE YOU HAVE TO PAY, SO YOU ARE
ADVISED TO SEND THE REQUIRED FEE VIA WESTERN UNION WITH THE PAYMENT INFORMATIONS
BELOW SO THAT I, MRS FARIDA MZAMBER WAZIRI CAN PROCESS THE DOCUMENT AS SOON AS
WE RECEIVE THE PAYMENT INFORMATION FROM
YOU.

HERE IS THE PAYMENT
INFORMATION:

NAME: JOHN NZE

ADDRESS: LAGOS-NIGERIA
TEST
QUESTION: GOD
TEST ANSWER: TRUST
AMOUNT: $160
MTCN#........
SENDER'S
NAME#.....
COUNTRY#........

ON THE CONFIRMATION OF THE ABOVE REQUIRED FEE, THE
REQUIRED DOCUMENT WILL BE RELEASE TO THE F.B.I TO CLEAR
YOUR NAME AND TO EMPOWER THE BANK TRANSFER YOUR FUNDS INTO YOUR OWN ACCOUNT. THE
TOTAL AMOUNT OF THE MONEY AVAILABLE WITH THE BANK OF AMERICA IS
$10,500,000.00(TEN MILLION AND FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATE
DOLLARS).

THESE FUNDS WILL BE RELEASE TO YOU IMMEDIATELY AND WE
ALSO SEND THE INTERNATIONAL TRANSFER PERMIT AND DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY SEAL OF
TRANSFER TO THE F.B.I. NOTE THAT
DELAY MAY BE DANGEROUS ON YOUR OWN SIDE, SO YOU ARE ADVISE NOT TO WASTE ANY TIME
IN SENDING THE FEE FOR THE DOCUMENT SO THAT WE CAN ISSUE THE NEEDED D.I.S.T
DOCUMENT TO YOU WITHOUT ANY FURTHER DELAY AND A COPY OF IT WILL BE FORWARDED TO
THE FBI AS WELL FOR CONFIRMATION.

Regards,

FARIDA MZAMBER
WAZIRI,
EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR,
ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIMES COMMISSION (EFCC).
TEL: +234
803093851

WE ARE AT YOUR
SERVICE.

Farida Waziri, Director of Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam