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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: BRITISH HOME OFFICE <info@britishhomeoffice.org>
Reply-To: issacstanford01@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 27 May 2013 16:50:49 -0700
Subject: VERY URGENT INFORMATION

BRITISH GOVERNMENT
COMPENSATION OFFICE DEPARTMENT
NATWEST BANK/ UNITED NATIONS
SCAM VICTIMS COMPENSATIONS PAYMENTS 2013.
 
ATTN: SIR/MADAM,
 
                   SCAMMED VICTIM/REF/PAYMENTS CODE:FGN/NWB/PLC/06654
 
This is to bring to your notice that we are delegated from the UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL FRAUD MONITORING UNIT, I wish to notify you that Nawest Bank,London United Kingdom has been authorized to pay out to 50  innocent victims of the widely know internet scam called Advanced Fee Fraud aka (419) the sum of US$500,00.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Dollars Only each).You have been listed and approved for this payment as one of the scammed victims.
 
On these faithful recommendations, we want you to know that during the last U.N. meeting held at London,United Kingdom, as it has come to an alarming  proportion based on reports from different victims, some of these victims have almost lost their lives, families, properties, and friends. The most alarming aspect of the issue was on the amount money lost by  these various innocent individuals to scams artists operating in  syndicates all over the world today, and in other to compensate victims, the  UNITED NATIONS Body in conjunction with the newly elected government in United Kingdom has agreed to pay 500 victims the sum of Five Hundred Thousand Dollars Only each in accordance with the UNITED NATIONS mandate imposed on the government to help eradicate this evil and corruption practice.
 
The payments are to be made payable only by Nawest Bank, London United Kingdom, as the corresponding paying bank under funding assistance by the BRITISH GOVERNMENT. Benefactors of this compensation award will have to be first cleared and recommended for payment by Nawest Bank, London United Kingdom, according to the number of applicants at hand, 157 Beneficiaries has already been paid so far, over a half of the victims are from the United States, We still have an outstanding of 343 scam victims left to be paid. Other victims who have not been contacted can submit their application as well for scrutiny and possible Consideration.
 
We shall feed you with further modalities as soon as we get a response from you on how you intend receiving your compensation payment. Send a copy of your response and payment code listed below to our remittance officer  Mr Issac Stanford through the details stated below.
 
Email:  issacstanford01@gmail.com
 
SCAMMED VICTIM/REF/PAYMENTS CODE:FGN/NWB/PLC/06654
 
Amount: $500,000.00 USD
 
 
You are required to forward the following information listed below immediately;
 
1) Your full name and residential address
 
2) Your direct phone number
 
3) Your file reference number
 
4) Your nominated account details where your funds will be transferred into
 
You are required to forward the above details to the payment officer to know that you are a true beneficiary to the fund as we await your immediate response. Kindly, adhere strictly to this instruction thereby helping us to avoid payment irregularity
 
Yours Faithfully,
 
 
Secretary,British Home Office

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