419 scam: "AU. FIN. COMMISSION"<backups@vpk.si> A REFUND FOR YOU

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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:
- "money laundering" ("anti-terrorist", "anti-money laundering" or "drug-free" certificates are a common way for criminals in fake lottery scams and other Advance Fee scams to get you to send money to them. There are no such certificates in the real banking world. )
- "million united states dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "million dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.

Fraud email example:

From: "AU. FIN. COMMISSION" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <aufincrimecommission@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:31:46 -0600
Subject: A REFUND FOR YOU

Attention: Sir/Madam,

We are pleased to introduce this commission to you.AFRICAN UNION FINANCIAL CRIME COMMISSION(AUFCC)commission against financial crime and money laundering in ECOWAS and African Countries in conjunction with the United Kingdom and United States of America.This commission was inaugurated in 2004 and their duty is to stop the above mentioned fraud globally. We have over 3,500 of the fraudsters in our Custody around Africa UK and USA and we are still looking forward in apprehending more of these fraudsters who go about tarnishing the Good image of our Continent(Africa)we are aware that a lot of foreigners from EUROPE,ASIA,MIDDLE EAST,,ARAB NATIONS, THE CARIBBEAN,SOUTH AMERICA,LATIN AMERICA,USA ETC have been defrauded by this fraudsters after promising some percentages in their letters to help them move funds out of one Country or the other.

The African Heads of States has come together to inform the world on what is going as we have recovered over $422 Million Dollars (Four Hundred and Twenty two Million United States Dollars only) from the people we have apprehended. Our reason of contacting you,is because your name and email address was given to us by one of the fraudsters in our detention room after serious interrogation. We have been instructed to refund part of lost fund to its legitimate owner(you)this is in a bid to restore the battered image of our great Continent.

You are therefore to receive a refund sum of USD$750,000.00 (Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand United States Dollars only) that will be paid to you through a direct wire transfer to your account.We have made all necessary arrangement with the Directors of CITI BANK of London UK and the METROPOLITAN BANK GROUP LONDON UK,as the paying banks for this refund exercise.You are therefore required to reconfirm your Bank details to us urgently and your Personal data such as your full names,contact address, occupation, sex, age and telephone number(s)immediately VIA this Email address as our Commission works on first come first serve bases. Your none response will only remove your name from the refund exercise.

Yours truly,

Alhaji Sherif Usman
FOR: AFRICAN UNION FINANCIAL CRIME COMMISSION(AUFCC)

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam