419 scam: MUSA Y. BELLO <efccnigeoffice1999@yahoo.com.hk> IS THIS TRUE?

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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:

This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "economic and financial crimes commission" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
- "(efcc)" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
- "foreign exchange" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- +2348071449333 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: MUSA Y. BELLO <efccnigeoffice1999@yahoo.com.hk>
Reply-To: efccofice_nigeria@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2013 22:51:15 +0700
Subject: IS THIS TRUE?

NIGERIA INVESTIGATION BUREAU
14A AWOLOWO LANE, IKOYI
LAGOS NIGERIA.
Motto: No Body is Above the LAW
FROM THE DESK OF Dr.Musa Bello; (Assistant).
FOR: ECONOMIC & FINANCIAL CRIMES COMMISSION (EFCC).

Attention:Joseph Tate,

Sir,

Thank you for your email, which i received in shock of the fact that you are alive, It is amazing because my boss and the commission, in the last held meeting was of the opinion that the process for the funds be wound up to your John Wheeler be transferred to him.

Meanwhile we shall put a hold and investigate him further. I have printed a copy of your email to be published, disclaiming the intending receiver Mr.John Wheeler from having the fund.

Nevertheless, We will now stop every action we are making to pay this fund to him.

Wwll now that you have confirmed to this office in your message by saying. NO I DID NOT MAKE ANYONE . I DON'T KNOW EVEN KNOW HIM! MY ANSWER IS NO! I WILL SEND MY IMFORMATION TOO YOU BY TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK, IF NOT BEFORE.

For this reason, we will order for Mr.John Wheeler's arrest for questioning.

Meanwhile, the information we will need from you, for your payment are as follows. Your Full Name/address, your Telephone/ cell phone unmber, your Company's Name/ Address and a copy of your ID which should be either your International Passport or Driver;s License, these will enable us to open up a fresh payment file in your Name and favor,and also make payment to you without any more delay.

Once the above information is received, we will then send to you an original classified Treasury Foreign Exchange Allocation Form. So that you will carefully fill your banking information, were you want your fund to be wired into, and also send back same form to this office for Notarization and registration in the Court.

Once your filled Treasury Foreign Exchange Allocation Form is received, we will ask one of our lawyer to take your Foreign Exchange Allocation Form to the Court for registration,so as to enable us commence urgently the process of getting this Payment to you,without any further delay.

I will call you as soon as i receive the above information for a follow up on your payment process.

In your best interest, you have been warned to desist from any other person or persons,office or offices / organization and communicate to me urgently via phone or email correspondence on a third party's request to you.

THIS CAUTION IS TO GUIDE YOU AGAINST ANY RISK OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES TO THE FRANTIC EFFORTS WE ARE MAKING TO OPEN UP YOUR PAYMENT FILE, SO AS TO ENABLE US RELEASE YOUR FUND TO YOU WITHOUT ANY FURTHER DELAY.

I wait to get a response from you as soon as possible.

Best Regards,
Mr.Musa Y.Bello : (Assistant)
D/L:+ 234-807-144-9333
Alhaji Ibrahim Lamorde (Chairman) Economic and Financial Crimes Commission

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam