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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "Dr. James Edward" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <okagba.pius@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 14 Feb 2014 13:19:24 -0800
Subject: PAYMENT ORDER VIA ATM CARD

Our Ref: WB/NF/UN/TK0245 UNITED NATIONS.
(WORLD BANK ASSISTED PROGRAMME)
DIRECTORATE OF INTERNATIONAL
PAYMENT AND TRANSFERS.
WIRE TRANSFER/AUDIT UNIT

Attention: Honorable Beneficiary,

IRREVOCABLE PAYMENT ORDER VIA ATM CARD

We have actually been authorized by the newly appointed united nation secretary general, and the governing body of the UNITED NATIONS monetary unit, to investigate the unnecessary delay on your payment, recommended and approved in your favor. During the course of our investigation, we discovered with dismay that your payment has been unnecessarily Delayed by corrupt officials of the Bank who are Trying to divert your funds into their private accounts. To forestall this, security for your funds was organized in the form of your personal Identification number (PIN) ATM CARD and this will enable only you to have direct Control over your funds in the ATM CARD. We will monitor this payment ourselves to avoid the hopeless situation created by the Officials of the bank.


An irrevocable payment guarantee has been issued from the Office of the Presidency on your Payment. However, we are happy to inform you that based on our recommendation/instructions, your complete contract/inheritance funds has bee credited in your favor through ATM CARD. You are therefore advice to contact:

Mr. Okagba Pius,
Director ATM Payment Department, Ecobank Benin
EMAIL ADDRESS: (okagba.pius@yahoo.com
Direct Telephone lines: +229-9884 2246

Contact him now for the delivery of your ATM card. As soon as you establish a contact with him, an ATM card will be issued to you immediately that you can use to withdraw your funds in any ATM machine in any part of the world, but the maximum is usd$7,000.00 per day. So if you like to receive your funds through this means you're advised to contact the ATM card payment center with the following information as stated below:

1. PHONES AND FAX NUMBER,
2. ADDRESS WERE YOU WANT THEM TO SEND YOUR ATM CARD
TO (P.O BOX NOT ACCEPTABLE)
3. YOUR AGE AND CURRENT OCCUPATION
5. YOUR FULL NAME.

NOTE: YOU ARE ADVICED TO FURNISH MR.OKAGBA PIUS WITH YOUR CORRECT AND VALID DETAILS. ALSO BE INFORMED THAT THE AMOUNT WHICH WAS CREDITED INTO YOUR ATM CARD USD$2,500,000.00 ONLY.We expect your urgent response to this email to enable us monitor this payment effectively thereby making contact with Mr. Okagba Pius as directed to avoid further delay.

CONGRATULATIONS.
DR. JAMES C. EDWARD
UNITED NATIONS.

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