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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: "Mr Bradley Thomas" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <worldbank14@ymail.com>
Date: Thu, 23 May 2013 21:34:06 -0400
Subject: RE: CASHIER CHECK

World Bank Auditors
offshore Payment Center
5th Floor World Trade Center, 303 Peachtree Street
NE Lower Lobby STE 100. Atlanta, GA 30308 United States
Our Ref:  fgn/wrdbnk/us/xxx
 
Attention:Beneficiary,
 
                                            PAYMENT NOTIFICATION OF US$10.5MILLION
 
Transaction code: USA/wrdbng/2013/xxx
 
I am Mr Bradley Thomas payment director the World Bank Atlanta.
 
My purpose of contacting you was in respect of swift instruction we received from our monitoring team indicating how your payment has been delaying by the unscrupulous officials by demanding one fee or the other from you without release your over due payment.The sum of US$10.5Million will be paid to you through a cashier check. I wish to bring to your notice that my office is willing and ready to release your payment as soon as you reconfirm your details to my office which will be use to process your cashier check payment and mail to your address through FedEx courier service to enable your use it to withdraw your funds from any bank of your choice.
 
However, to facilitate the release of your payment, you are advice to furnish my bank the following information so that I will submit your file to our remittance department for them to proceed with the processing of your cashier check. The following information is needed urgently from you.
 
(1)    Your full name to issue your cashier check
(2)    Your mailing address to deliver your cashier check
(3)    Your current phone number to reach you before dispatching cashier check
 
Furthermore, this is the information we needed from you to enable us process your cashier check payment. Note, we have been notified by our world bank monitoring team that some crooks are trying to steal your funds by presenting forgery documents that is not real. You are warned to stop further contact with any office until we finish processing your cashier check payment. Should you receive any email from any department concerning the release of your funds, make sure you forward copy of that email to my office for verification. I am seriously warning you to stop further communication with those internet criminals because they do not have the legal power to release your funds rather to scam you.
 
Your swift response will be highly appreciated to enable us finalize with the issuing of your cashier check. Also, any email message that you received from any office without your transaction code, that message is fake you need to bear this in your mind so that you will not fall victim.
 
Waiting for your urgent reply
 
Thanks for your understand.
 
Thanks
Mr Bradley Thomas
(Payment Director)
World Bank Auditors Private Wealth Management
offshore Payment Center
5th Floor World Trade Center, 303 Peachtree Street
NE Lower Lobby STE 100. Atlanta, GA 30308
Phone:4045856610

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