419 scam: "Dear Esteemed Beneficiary"<info@insurance.org> Please Read This Now..

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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)
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "central bank of nigeria" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
- "abuja" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.

Fraud email example:

From: "Dear Esteemed Beneficiary" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <infous@zing.vn>
Date: Tue, 14 Jan 2014 09:13:28 -0800
Subject: Please Read This Now..

Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation
Plot 447/448 Constitution Avenue
Central Business District
P.M.B. 284, Garki Abuja
Tel: (09) 460 1382
Fax: (09) 628 5717

Dear Esteemed Beneficiary

Complements of the season, We write to officially inform you that we have just completed an investigation with the help of our Electronic Crimes Task Force regarding your inheritance payment valued at the sum of $5,500,000.00 USD which was deposited as an uncompleted fund transfer by the Central Bank of Nigeria. Based on our investigation, the said fund was deposited without a proper signed documents from CBN.

The said inheritance payment was approved by the United Nations and Nigeria Government, and the inheritance payment approval number for the $5,500,000.00 USD is UN-344972AB. However, acting in our capacity as a member of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria and the Regulatory and Supervisory Agency of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), we are pleased to inform you that full clearance has been granted for the release of the full payment of your inheritance payment valued at the sum of $5,500,000.00 dollars.

Please take note that your payment has been approved and authorized for immediate release and transfer into your bank account via the Zenith Bank Plc. For your confirmation, we have authorized the Zenith Bank Plc to deduct all supposed fee associated with the fund transfer from the Principal value of the $5,500,000.00 USD before transferring the balance to your designated bank account via SWIFT telegraphic wire transfer. Please take note that this deduction will be made possible through processing of a " (NDIC) Waiver Clearance Form" for a fee of $199.99 USD ONLY.

Please ensure that you confirm the details of your receiving bank account, as well as your personal details via email as soon as you have receive this message.

Yours Sincerely,

Alh Umaru Ibrahim mni
Managing Director/CEO
Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam