419 scam: "CENTRUM Finance Inc." <contact@centrumfinanceinc.com> Attn: Beneficiary, are you DEAD OR ALIVE? Notification of Your Payment Via ATM

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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:
- ",500,000" (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)
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "certified bank draft" (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
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.
- +22967050081 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "CENTRUM Finance Inc." <contact@centrumfinanceinc.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: info@centrumfinanceinc.com
Date: Sun, 1 Dec 2013 23:48:20 -0800
Subject: Attn: Beneficiary, are you DEAD OR ALIVE? Notification of Your Payment Via ATM or Int'l Bank Draft o

CENTRUM Finance Inc.
BENIN REPUBLIQUE COUNTRY OFFICE
08 BP 0690, Tri Postal Cotonou,
Rue du Gouverneur Bayol, Benin Republique
Tel: +229 670 50 081
Telefax: +229 686 77 185
Email: info@centrumfinanceinc.com

Ref: centfin/ecowas/fin1/100/2013/x13/01

Attn: Beneficiary,

RE: YOUR ATM OR INT'L BANK DRAFT OR CASH PAYMENT NOTIFICATION
Due to the compounding and long term problems associated with your funds release as a result of official laxity, corruption and inconsistency on both sides resulting in the non payment of your fund for a very long time now, and the recent report submitted that you are DEAD and that before your death you appointed a new beneficiary to claim your funds, one MR. SHERAZ RAFIQUE of NO. 7, STREET 18-A, N.P.F., O-9, ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN.

To avoid payment of your funds to wrong beneficiary, your fund alongside others in the same category has been earmarked to be released through either of these three methods. (1). ATM Card System. (2). International Certified Bank Draft and (3). CASH Payment in your favour for the amount of a part payment of US$10.5Million which is a special modified arrangement put in place by the European Central Bank (ECB), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) / International Finance Corporation (IFC), and we, CENTRUM FINANCE INC. as the duly appointed coordinating Financial House been given the MANDATE to process and effect your payment to you.

This is to say that due to your inability to receive your funds through bank transfer in the past, an instruction to pay you through either of the above three payment methods was reached and accepted as the most convenient at this moment to avoid further delay.

Based on your choice, the ATM Card or the International Certified Bank Draft would be processed and issued in your favor as part payment of your funds and it is valued at US$10,500,000:00 (Ten Million, Five Hundred United States Dollars Only), while, CASH payment would be delivered directly to you in the same amount, you are hereby advised to respond to this message with the option chosen by you and URGENT reconfirmation of your physical address where you would want the hard copy of either the ATM Card, the International Certified Bank Draft or Cash money delivered to.

Be informed that payment would be released to you within 48 hours after receipt of your response as requested above in as long as you STOP all forms of communication with all the people you have been in contact with in the recent past whether banks or Lawyers or agents in Africa or any other parts of the World as we are not ready to entertain any form of distraction from any quarters. If we discover in the course of sending your International Certified Bank Draft to you that you are still in communication with the aforementioned offices or group of people we shall automatically cancel your payment.

Thanks,
Mr. Egu Donatus
Foreign Debt Payment Coordinator

CC: File

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam