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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: "Central Bank of Nigeria.(C.B.N)" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <markpen10@hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 13 Aug 2011 16:39:56 +1000
Subject: RE: DID YOU AUTHORIZE MR. LAWRENCE OWEN TO CLAIM YOUR FUND. FROM THE DESK OF MARK PEN.

FROM THE DESK OF MARK PEN.
(Executive Director) International Remittance Dept. Central Bank of Nigeria
Corporate Headquarters: # CBN House, Tinubu Square,
213 Eleke Crescent-Victoria Island, Marina,
Lagos, Nigeria, West Africa.
P.O.Box 55037 Falomo
Ikoyi Lagos Island Marina.
.
Attin

RE: DID YOU AUTHORIZE MR. LAWRENCE OWEN TO CLAIM YOUR FUND.

We have on this 2011, received a payment credit instruction from the Nigeria Government and the United State Goverment in collaboration with IMF and World Bank to credit your account with your partly payment funds valued at ($15.5 MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS ) from the government reserve account with our bank.
Note as our bank have just finished programming your file for the transfer to commence today, our bank received the below notice from MR. LAWRENCE OWEN so we decided to contact you in person before the transfer commences next week so that we do not transfer this money into the wrong persons' account as listed below:
ACCOUNT NAME; OWDECO/LAWRENCE W. OWEN JR.
Bank ACCOUNT #; 5048638
Bank ROUTINE; 053207370
BANK OF TRAVELERS REST
42 PLAZA DRIVE ,TRAVELERS REST ,S.C.29690USA
ID ATTACHED;
Our bank hereby send to you the information submitted by MR. LAWRENCE OWEN with an application to receive the contract/Inheritance Winning Awrad payment on your behalf. Please as a matter of urgency, you are required to verify the following information and get back to us if you are aware or knows anything about this.
1.Did you instruct one MR. LAWRENCE OWEN, whose information is above, to claim and receive the payment on your behalf? 2. Did you sign any "Deed of Assignment" in his favor thereby making him the current beneficiary with the following account details.

Finally, you are hereby advised to indicate to this honorable office with immediate effect, if you are the person that instructed MR. LAWRENCE OWEN to come for the claim of these funds, to enable me endorse for the final payment. You are hereby advised to reconfirm your full details to the bank as follows.
1. Full Names
2. Contact Address
3. Contact Phone Number
4. Age
5. Occupation
6. Any valid Id card, Drivers License or International Passport.
Meanwhile? Your File has been submited to the TELEX TRANSFER AND A.T.M.PAYMENT CENTER OFFICE for immediate payment to you as soon as you get back to us regards to the options you choose to receive your payment, you are to contact this office via this official phone number: email address: for more vital information.
Regards,

MR MARK PEN.
Contact Phone Number:+2347091403756
EMAIL'SEND YOUR REPLY (markpen10@hotmail.com)
(Executive Director)
International Remittance Dept.
Central Bank of Nigeria.(C.B.N)

Anti-fraud resources: