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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: "CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <account_deptt1@yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 22 Jul 2012 15:25:18 -0700
Subject: RE: INHERITANCE FUND TRANSFER NOTIFICATION

CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA
PHASE II, GARKIFEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY
ABUJA-NIGERIA
REF: CBN-0XX2/987
TEL: +234 708 907 3391


ATTN: BENEFICIARY

RE: INHERITANCE FUND TRANSFER NOTIFICATION


WE HAVE RECEIVED AN INSTRUCTION FROM THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENCY, THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANCE (FMF), AND THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN PAYMENTS (SCFP), TO PAY YOU YOUR CONTRACT/INHERITANCE FUND FROM OUR BANK (CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA) IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE HSBC BANK LONDON.

THIS IS TO NOTIFY YOU THAT YOUR FUND WHICH IS THE TOTAL SUM OF TEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS (US$10, 500,000.00), AS YOUR CONTRACT/INHERITANCE FUND HAVE BEEN PROGRAMMED FOR IMMEDIATE PAYMENT TO YOU. AND YOUR INHERITANCE FUND PAYMENT HAS BEEN FINALIZED TO BE RELEASED TO YOU AS THE LEGITIMATE BENEFICIARY OF THE FUND, VIA HSBC ATM DEBIT CARD.

MEANWHILE, WE WANT YOU TO CLARIFY IF YOU INDEED APPROVE A WOMAN FEW DAYS AGO TO CLAIM YOUR FUND ON YOUR BEHALF, WHO NOW CLAIM THAT SHE IS YOUR REPRESENTATIVE SENT BY YOU TO RECEIVE YOUR FUND.

DUE TO THE NATURE OF MY JOB, I CANNOT AFFORD TO MAKE ANY MISTAKE IN RELEASING THESE FUNDS TO ANYONE EXCEPT YOU WHO IS THE RECOGNIZED TRUE BENEFICIARY TO THESE FUNDS. NOTE THAT I ASKED HER TO COME BACK NEXT WEEK SO I CAN VERIFY THIS FACT FROM YOU FIRST. KINDLY CLARIFY US ON THIS ISSUE BEFORE WE MAKE THIS PAYMENT TO HER WHOM CAME ON YOUR BEHALF.

HOWEVER, NOTE THAT WE ARE WAITING TO HEAR FROM YOU SHORTLY, AS YOU PROVIDE THE REQUIRED INFORMATION BELLOW TO ENABLE OUR ATM PROCESSING DEPARTMENT TO ISSUE YOUR ATM CARD TO YOU SO THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO CASH YOUR TEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS FROM ANY ATM MARCHINE AT ANY WHERE IN THE WORLD.

THE REQUIRED INFORMATION IS AS STATED BELOW:

1. YOUR NAME:
2. YOUR ADDRESS:
3. YOUR TELEPHONE:
4. FAX:
5. AGE:
6. SEX:
7. YOUR OCCUPATION:

NOTE THAT THIS ATM CARD WILL BE SENT TO YOU THROUGH THE COURIER SUCH AS FEDEX, UPS OR ANY COUIRER COMPANY OF YOUR CHOICE FOR THE DELIVERY OF YOUR ATM CARD TO YOU FOR YOUR EASY CASHING OF YOUR CONTRACT SUM OF US$10, 500,000.00. FROM THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENCY, THIS REPUTABLE BANK HAS BEEN APPROVED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE HSBC BANK LONDON,THEY HAS BEEN ACCREDITED TO HANDLE AND MAKE PAYMENT TO ALL FOREIGN CONTRACT/INHERITANCE FUNDS BENEFICIARIES THIS SECOND QUARTER PAYMENT OF THE YEAR 2011/2012. THEREFORE, WE WAIT TO HEAR FROM YOU SOON.


WE ARE WAITNG TO HERE FROM YOU AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

YOURS REGARDS,

DR YURI AKOTA
DIRECTOR OF FOREIGN OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT
CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (CBN)
TEL:+234 708 907 3391

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