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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: TERENCE McCULLEY <ernestei@fomail.com>
Reply-To: <usa.ambassador@foxmail.com>
Date: Sat, 11 Jan 2014 01:23:36 -0500
Subject: GOOD NEWS

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
BUREAU OF CONSULAR AFFAIRS
US AMBASSADOR TO NIGERIA
11 GARKI ROAD ABUJA
ABUJA-NIGERIA
 
                        
DEAR BENEFICIARY
                                                              `
I SHALL BE COMING TO YOUR COUNTRY FOR AN OFFICIAL MEETING BY NEXT WEEK AND I WILL BE BRINGING YOUR INTEREST PAYMENT OF US$10M ALONG WITH ME BUT THIS TIME I WILL NOT GO THROUGH CUSTOMS BECAUSE AS A US AMBASSADOR TO NIGERIA, I AM A US GOVERNMENT AGENT AND I HAVE  THE VETO POWER TO GO THROUGH CUSTOMS.I AM SCHEDULED TO HAVE A BRIEFING WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATES BY NEXT WEEK
 
YOU SHOULD SEND YOUR CELL PHONE NUMBER AND THE ADDRESS WHERE YOU WANT ME TO BRING THE CONSIGNMENT PACKAGE . YOU HAVE REALLY PAID SO MUCH AS I WAS MADE TO UNDERSTAND AND THAT  IS WHY I HAVE PERSONALLY INTERVENED . YOU ARE A VERY LUCKY  PERSON  BECAUSE I SHALL BE BRINGING IT MYSELF AND THERE IS NOTHING ANYONE  CAN
DO ABOUT IT.
 
YOUR PACKAGE(US$10Million}   MUST BE REGISTERED AS AN AMBASSADORIAL  PACKAGE FOR ME TO DEFEAT ALL ODDS AND THE COST OF REGISTERING IT  IS $95.00.
 
THE FEE MUST BE PAID IN THE NEXT 50 HOURS VIA WESTERN  UNION/MONEYGRAM SO THAT ALL NECESSARY ARRANGEMENT CAN BE MADE BEFORE TIME WILL BE AGAINST US.YOU SHOULD SEND THE FEE DIRECTLY TO THE CARGO REGISTRATION OFFICER WITH THE INFO BELOW
 
NAME:EZE UGONNA
COUNTRY:LAGOS-NIGERIA
TEST QUESTION: TRUE
ANSWER:         YES
 
AS SOON AS THE FEE IS SENT FOWARD TO ME THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION BELLOW.
MTCN NUMBER:
SENDER ADDRESS:
 
 
MY TRIP WILL BE BY MID NEXT WEEK AND I EXPECT YOU TO COMPLY BEFORE THEN SO THAT THE DELIVERY CAN BE COMPLETED. IF YOU DO NOT COMPLY, THEN IT  WILL NOT BE MY FAULT IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE YOUR CONSIGNMENT PACKAGE.
 
TREAT AS URGENT,
 
 
TERENCE McCULLEY
US AMBASSADOR TO NIGERIA

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