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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: "Federal Bureau of Investigation" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <www.fbi_usa999@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 30 Dec 2011 14.58.32 +0100
Subject: From the desk of Mr Robert muellers contact us immidiately

ANTI-TERRORIST AND MONETARY CRIMES DIVISION
FBI HEADQUARTERS IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
J. EDGAR HOOVER BUILDING
935 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, NW
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20535-0001
DATE: 29/12/2011,
Website: washingtondc.fbi.gov.

FUND BENEFICIARY

We received a security report from the UK (United Kingdom) security unit
To handle the case relating to your winners fund which you did not claim
And was abandoned in the bank.
The report we had was that your abandoned fund was claimed by am unknown
Person with the help of some of the bank workers.
If you are not informed, your e-mail address was among the e-mails that
Won the year promo award of UK National Lottery,
We need your urgent response, so that we will tell you the proper agency
to contact for your winner fund that has been recovered.

Yours Sincerely
Robert S. Mueller, III

Anti-fraud resources: