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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: "CAPT JOHN THOMPSON" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <captjohnthompson@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 03:43:11 -0800
Subject: IRREVOCABLE PAYMENT ORDER VIA ATM CARD

Our Ref: WB/NF/UN/XX028 UNITED NATIONS.
(WORLD BANK ASSISTED PROGRAMME)
DIRECTORATE OF INTERNATIONAL
PAYMENT AND TRANSFERS.
870 UNITED NATIONS PLAZA 20-A NEW YORK NY 10017
WIRE TRANSFER/AUDIT UNIT

Attention:Honourable Beneficiary

IRREVOCABLE PAYMENT ORDER VIA ATM CARD

We have actually been authorized by the newly appointed united nation secretary general, and the governing body of the UNITED NATIONS monetary unit, to investigate the unnecessary delay on your payment, recommended and approved in your favor.

During the course of our investigation, we discovered with dismay that your payment has been unnecessarily Delayed by corrupt officials of the Bank who are Trying to divert your funds into their private accounts.

To forestall this, security for your funds was organized in the form of your personal Identification number (PIN) ATM CARD and this will enable only you to have direct Control over your funds in the ATM CARD. We will monitor this payment ourselves to avoid the hopeless situation created by the Officials of the bank.

An irrevocable payment guarantee has been issued by the Presidency, Federal Republic of Nigeria on your Payment. However, we are happy to inform you that based on our recommendation/instructions, your complete contract funds has been credited in your favor through ATM CARD. You are therefore advice to contact:

REV. DR. EMEKA OKOLIE,
Director ATM Payment Department, Central Bank of Nigeria.
EMAIL ADDRESS: dremekaokolie01@yahoo.com.hk
Direct Telephone lines: +234-703-011-9916

Contact him now for the delivery of your ATM card. As soon as you establish a contact with him, an ATM card will be issued to you immediately that you can use to withdraw your funds in any ATM machine in any part of the world, but the maximum is Twenty Five Thousand dollars per day. So if you like to receive your funds through this means you're advised to contact the ATM card payment center with the following information as stated below:

1. PHONES AND FAX NUMBER,
2. ADDRESS WERE YOU WANT THEM TO SEND YOUR ATM CARD
TO BE DELIVERED.
3. YOUR AGE AND CURRENT OCCUPATION
4. DO YOU HAVE ANY EQUITY LINE OF CREDIT OR A GOOD CREDIT CARD ACCOUNT
(YES OR NO).
5. YOUR FULL NAME.
6. ANNUAL INCOME

NOTE: YOU ARE ADVICED TO FURNISH REV. DR. EMEKA OKOLIE WITH YOUR CORRECT AND VALID DETAILS. ALSO BE INFORMED THAT THE AMOUNT TO BE PAID NOW IS FORTY FIVE MILLION THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS.

We expect your urgent response to this email to enable us monitor this payment effectively thereby making contact with REV. DR. EMEKA OKOLIE as directed to avoid further delay.

CONGRATULATIONS.
CAPT. JOHN M THOMPSON
UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK

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