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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: "Foreign Payment Office (FPO)." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <tix299@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2011 02:24:51 -0700
Subject: Re: Kindly confirm this to us reception?

Dear Beneficiary,

We apologize for the delay of your payment and all the inconveniences and hiccups that we might have caused you.

However, we were having some minor problems with our payment system, which is inexplicable, and have held us stranded and indolent, not having the Prerequisite to devote our 100% endowment in accrediting foreign payments.

We now wish to notify you that your overdue inheritance/ contract funds has finally been gazette to be released and transferred to you without any more Hitches as previously encountered.

Meanwhile, during the rectification of our payment system we discovered that one Mrs. Janet White has forwarded his banking information to our bank stating that you instructed him to claim this funds on your behalf. Please find below his Banking information for your-re-confirmation:

Mrs. Janet White
Bank Name: CitiBank
Account No.: 1043903
Routing:2093841
Address: United State of America

Urgently confirm to us if you have authorized Mrs. Janet White to claim Your funds on your behalf to avoid making payment into any wrong accounts Because your name was found in the original list of beneficiary whose fund is overdue for payment.

We want to state categorically that we shall not be liable for any miss-direction of transfer due to your failure to give us proper Directive/ reconfirmation. Else we shall commence transfer Modality with Mrs. Janet White on your behalf.

In view of this you are requested to advice us immediately for appropriate correction, if any, and send us email for proper rectification of the transfer with your valid details so that your fund valued US $9,500.000.00 (Nine Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) will be remitted to your nominated Bank account as scheduled within 2-3 working days.

You are urgently required to reconfirm to us the following:
(1) Your Full Name:
(2) Residential Address:
(3) Phone, Fax and Mobile #:
(4) Profession, Age and Marital Status:
(5) Company/Business Name:
(6) Bank account details (if necessary)

As soon as this information is received by this Panel, you shall be instructed on how to get this Fund released directly to you from our Nominated Bank .
For your information, this office will not be held responsible for any cancellation or delay of your fund if we do comply with the requirement.


Best regards,


Dr Alex Parker,
Director (Paying Unit) of Foreign Payment Office (FPO).

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