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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: "U.S Department of Homeland Security" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <dhsnyoffice@aol.com>
Date: Fri, 28 Dec 2012 15:24:45 -0500
Subject: This information is from the U.S Department of Homeland Security

 
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
ANTI-TERRORIST AND MONETARY CRIMES DIVISION
NEW YORK FIELD OFFICE
26 Federal Plaza
9th Floor, Suite 9-110
New York, NY 10278
We, the U.S Department of Homeland Security (DHS) hereby write to inform you that we stopped a courier personal by the name Mrs. Annie Bradshaw at (John Kennedy International Airport) here in New York with a consignment box filled with cash valued at US$10,500,000:00 (Ten Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars).In the course of our investigation on the courier personal she said that she was sent by a Chris Benton to come deliver the consignment box to you not knowing that the content of the box is cash in U.S Dollar bills.
This courier lady is under our custody here at JFK airport N.Y, and we cannot release her until we carry out our proper investigation on how this huge amount of money managed to be yours. In this regards you are prove to us that the money you are about to receive is legal by sending us the Ownership Clearance Certificate showing that the money is not illegal. The United States Patriot Act Bill already signed into law stipulates that the beneficiary of any money or monetary instrument above $1Million must provide an Ownership Clearance Certificate issued by the parliament of the country the money originated from; in this case Nigeria and must be signed by head of the Nigerian Senate.
You are advised to forward immediately the Ownership Clearance Certificate if you have it with you, but if you do not have it, we urge you to contact back the sender of Annie Bradshaw to help you secure the Award Ownership Certificate if at all you do not have it. Below is the contact information of the person that sent Mrs. Annie Bradshaw as provided by her; Name: Chris Benton Email: risbent@yahoo.com or chrisbenton@superposta.com Phone: 011-2348063350447
Furthermore, we are giving you only but 3 working business days to forward the requested Ownership Clearance Certificate. Please note that we shall get back to you after the 3 working business days, and if you don't come up with the certificate we shall confiscate the funds into the government account then charge you for money laundering and smuggling of currencies as stipulated in the United States Patriot Act bill on money laundering related activities already signed into law (P.L.107-56) and the United Nations Chatter on money laundering, but if you forward the Ownership Clearance Certificate then we will release courier lady to come deliver to you your consignment box also gives you every back up on the money.
Thanks for your understanding and co-operation.
Yours Truly,
Special Agent Danny Bray
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
ANTI-TERRORIST AND MONETARY CRIMES DIVISION
NEW YORK FIELD OFFICE
CC: Canadian Federal Police
CC: GENERAL INTELLIGENCE DEPARTMENT (GID)
CC: Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG)
CC: Egmont Group
CC: FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (FBI)
CC: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
CC: Financial Action Task Force (FATF)
CC: International Monetary Fund (IMF)
CC: International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO)
CC: International Banking Security Association (IBSA)
CC: International Air Transport Association (IATA)
CC: Institut de Formation Interbancaire (INSIG)
CC: World Customs Organization (WCO)
CC: Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)
CC: Offshore Group of Banking Supervisors (OGBS)
CC: WORLD CENTRAL BANK (SW)
CC: NIGERIA POLICE FORCE (NPF)
CC: NORTH YORKSHIRE POLICE (UK)
CC: ECONOMIC FINANCIAL CRIME COMMISSION (EFCC)
 

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