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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: "Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <transferdepartment_rbi@manager.in.th>
Date: Fri, 5 Jul 2013 22:41:38 +0530
Subject: URGENT RESPOND NEEDED

Greetings from the United Nations (UN) Office.
 
 
Date: 5/7/2013
 
 
I write to notify you officially that after due verification on your payment file, a total of US2.5 million which was originally meant to be released to you through a certified bank draft or ATM Card have been converted to a payment via Wire Transfer, since all the previous attempt to pay you through other methods failed. Your total fund is now with the Reserve Bank Of India(RBI), therefore you are advised to contact the Director International Remittance for the transfer update of your fund.
 
 
I have tried to reach you on phone severally to no avail before I write this email to update you about the latest situation about your fund total sum of 2.5 million USD. Your fund is in a bond account therefore, I urge you to contact the remittance officer with below information.
 
 
Contact Person: Mr. Shri Vijay Chugh
Department of Payment and Settlement Systems,
Reserve Bank Of India,
 
Email.: transferdepartment_rbi@manager.in.th
 
 
It is very important that you contact the Bank now and submit your contact address, cell phone and all your banking details to the Bank for the immediate transfer of your fund into your Bank account. This is an intervention to checkmate the bureaucratic ineptitude and administrative bottleneck most beneficiaries have suffered in the hands of our local bankers and their international allies. Your immediate payment instruction have been forwarded to the Paying Institution (Reserve Bank Of India(RBI) which was appointed specifically to handle your payment in order to avoid further delay in releasing your payment.
 
 
We are working according to the constitution binding this committee as well as helping the less privilege through this means. You will be required to reach Mr. Shri Vijay Chugh
 
 
via email ( transferdepartment_rbi@manager.in.th  ) or call : +91  844 - 731 - 6772
 
 
Regards,
 
 
Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.
 

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