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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: Centrum Finance inc <info.centrumfinanceince@yahoo.com.ph>
Date: Sat, 12 Nov 2011 07:59:49 +0800 (SGT)
Subject: Dear Beneficiary, ARE YOU DEAD OR ALIVE ? CONFIRMATION OF YOUR FUND TRANSFER


 
CENTRUM
Finance Inc.
UK
Office: Marlow International, Parkway
Buckinghamshire.
SL7 1AJ, UK
Tel:
+447092846891;
Fax:
+447092846892:
Email:
info.centrumfinanceince@yahoo.com.ph
Email:
info.centrumfinance@centrum.cz
 
Our
Ref: centfin/funds/fin544/2011/01
 
Dear
Beneficiary,
 
RE: ARE YOU DEAD
OR ALIVE ? CONFIRMATION OF YOUR FUND TRANSFER
 
In the course of
our General Auditing and Account revision of this quarter of the year 2011, we
discovered that the Bank Accounts belonging to some Beneficiaries have been
changed on the basis that the owners have DIED INTERSTATE (without leaving a
WILL) some time last year or have given out an authorization note of change of
data.
 
After the
investigations however, it was revealed that there are Foreigners who are
collaborating with Retired or former Staff to make these changes illegally
without the knowledge of the Bonafide Beneficiaries and there is one traced to
your data been changed to one MR. RICK JONES of MASTERS DELIVERY & SERVICES
(UK) who said you are dead, hence they have forwarded a DEAD CERTIFICATE bearing
your name so as to divert your funds, IT WAS STATED THAT YOU DIED OF HEART
FAILURE.
 
They have also
forwarded the bank account below as the new account that will receive this fund
/ money.
 
Bank: Hang Seng
Bank
Bank Address: 83
Des Veoux Road, Central - Hong Kong
Account Name:
Rick Jones
Account Number:
235-325172-882
Bank Code:
024
Swift Code:
HASEHKHH
 
But we wanted to
confirm if actually this is true and decided to write to your email address for
confirmation, which after 72 hours from today and there is no response, we shall
then carry out payment in their favour.
 
If proved
otherwise by you that you did not die, please forward to us all your related
details including your full names, direct telephone numbers, contact address,
.copy of your ID and also details of your payment. These details from you will
help to assist us reach a conclusion that you are not dead and that the fund in
question belongs to you.
 
Anything
contrary to this claim will help us charge this man to court and prosecute him
while your fund will be paid to you immediately without any further delay. You
have to get back to us on time for us to commence legal proceedings against Mr.
Rick Jones and his associates.
 
You have 24hours
to respond to this message or else we carry out payment in their favour as the
fund has been programmed for payment this week.
 
Thanks,
 
Sincerely
Yours,
Khudoshin Igor
Anatolyevich (Int'l Payment Director)
 

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