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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: "Andrew Tweedie" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <alexthursby01@yahoo.com.ph>
Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2012 08:52:46 -0400
Subject: GET BACK TO ME

Finance Department Director
International Monetary Fund. IMF.

Good Day,

I found your name in the Central Computer data system among the list of unpaid (Contractors, Inheritance next of kin and lotto beneficiaries that was originated from American, Europe, Asia plus Middle east and Africa,among the list of individuals and companies that your unpaid fund that was located to the Standard Chartered Bank, HSBC, Barclays Bank, Natwest Bank, Bank of America, Allied Irish bank, Eco Bank Nigeria plc and CBN Plus ATM payment to mention only but few. Your name appeared among the beneficiaries who will receive a payment of US$5.5 million and has been approved already for months without claim. You are requested to get back to me for more direction and instruction on how to receive your fund.
However, we received an email from one Dr. Robert Walter who told us that he is your next of kin and that you died in an auto crash some weeks ago. He submitted his account for us to transfer the fund to him. The below account submitted by Dr Robert Walter are as follows:
Bank of Lebanon
A/c no: 890458984589
Routing No: bl 275-79665
Aba no: BL-ANAJFG-FL
Beneficiary: Robert Water
We write to confirm the genuineness of his information before the transfer could be made to him accordingly, I apologize on behalf Of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) If we have received a false information ( http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/memdir/officers.htm ) failure to receive your funds earlier before now, which according to records in the system has been long overdue.
You are therefore directed/advised to revert to us immediately before we transfer the funds into the account as given above.
Yours Sincerely,
Andrew Tweedie
Director, Finance Department
International Monetary Fund. IMF.

Anti-fraud resources: