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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: "DIPLOMAT Lord Ruben" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <diplomatic1@yahoo.cn>
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2012 08:13:22 -0300
Subject: Attn: TO You,

Attn: TO You,
I'm diplomat Lord Ruben; I have been trying to reach you on your telephone about an hour now just to inform you about my successful arrival in NEWARK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (EWR) New York with your two boxes of consignment Box worth $1.5m one Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars which I have been instructed by ECOWAS COURIER DELIVERY COMPANY to be delivered to you. The Airport authority demanded for all the legal back up papers to prove to them that the fund is not related with drug or fraudulent money,
I have presented the papers I handed it over to them and they are very much pleased with the paper's I presented but the only thing that is still keeping me here is the airport delivery Tag which is not placed on the boxes, one of the Airport Authority has advise that we get the delivery tag so that I can exit the airport immediately and make my delivery successful. I try to reason with them and they stated the delivery tag will cost us just $95 Dollars only to get the two tag placed on the boxes as that tag will enable me get to your house successfully without any disturbance, they scanned the boxes and found out that the fund is 100 % spend able and accepted by any bank in the whole world.
Please send me your direct number where you can be reached for fast communication today, as I can not afford to spend more time here due to other delivery I have to take care of in Bangkok. Am here with the papers backing the funds together with my ID CARD as I can accompany you to your bank were you will deposit the fund successfully with these papers. I have more vital paper with me but I can only present you the hard copy when I reach your house as that it's the diplomatic rules, such as authorization to deliver.
You can direct the tag fee to our Head Office as they will get it here for you and they are entitled to receive and make any payment to foreign countries authority.   GET BACK TO ME IN MY EMAIL NOW.
 
Email:  ( diplomatic1@yahoo.cn )
 
Below is the payment details on where you are to send the 95$ to today.
Receiver Name:  OSEJI  KELVIN.
Receivers Address:  LAGOS-NIGERIA.
Amount:  95 US Dollars
Text Question:  IN GOD
Answer: WE TRUST.
SENDER NAME:
MTCN:
I will be waiting to hear from you because we don't have much time left and you can reach me on this number for confirmation +1 (347)-434-5956
Thanks and God bless for your understanding.
Regard
DIPLOMAT Lord Ruben
 

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