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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: "U.S TREASURY AND DEPARTMENT" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ustd@globomail.com>
Date: Sun, 5 Aug 2012 15:41:29 +0100
Subject: READ CAREFULLY

US TREASURY AND DEPARTMENT
1500 Pennsylvania Avenue
,NW  Washington, D.C 20220
U.S.A.
 
From Timothy F. Geithner (Secretary of the US TREASURY AND DEPARTMENT)
 
 
Sir/Madam,
The Usa Treasury and Department is bureau In The  United States of America  providing central payment services to Federal Program Agencies, operating the federal government's collections and deposit systems, providing government-wide accounting and reporting services and managing the collection of delinquent debt owed to the government. The Usa Treasury and Department focuses its financial crimes investigations on such criminal activities as corporate fraud, securities and commodities fraud, health care fraud, financial institution fraud, mortgage fraud, insurance fraud, mass marketing fraud, and money laundering. These are the identified priority crime problem areas of the Financial Crimes Section (FCS) of the Usa Treasury and Department.
 
Accordingly, the intelligence report reaching us reveals that the sum of $3,500,000.00 (Three Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars only) which is Suppose to have been Paid to your Favor as Compensation Payment from the Federation Account of the Federal Reserve Account in New York Usa under the Approval of the Obama's Government for further transfer into your Local Checking account for your confirmation. However, the fact has to be stated here that in as much as we are committed to certify your transfer ok in line with the U. S. Financial Control Act as defined in Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1956 & 1957; as well as Title 18, United States Code, Section 1961 (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt organizations Act), basic due official process must be observed in order to produce a transparent and definite result.
 
Accordingly, you are required to be Respond Back to This Office with Your Full Name: _____Your Complete Address (Physical Address with Zip Code not P.O.BOX) : ____Name of City of Residence:_____Country:________Direct Telephone Number:_____Mobile:Number:_____Occupation:&AGE______________________________ Copy of int'l passport, drivers license, or any valid ID card.
 
You are to be informed that this transaction is expected to last for a week, therefore, you are humbly and respectfully advised by this Agency to treat this matter as urgent to enable us do our job very well and be able to give meaningful result since we have been appointed by the United States of America to oversee this payment to the end because of the excessive scam going on all over the world. The Usa Treasury and Department has tried to waive away all your clearance fees/Charges and authorize the Proper and Relevant Offices in charge of Abandoned Funds to effect the payment of your compensation fee of $3,500,000.00 (Three Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars only) which was approved by both the British government and the USA Government into your account without any delay. The only process is that you will have to contact the Payment in London UK.
 
Thank you. 
 
Yours Faithfully,
 
Timothy F. Geithner (Secretary of the US TREASURY AND DEPARTMENT)
 
Cc:United States Treasury and Department
Cc: The Federal Reserve Account New York
Cc: Office of Law Enforcement Coordination (OLEC)
Cc: Financial Management Service

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