419 scam: "FBI DIRECTOR"<fbi-director@gazeta.pl> RE: YOU ARE BEING INVESTIGATED OVER A PENDING FUNDS TRANSFER MADE IN YOUR FAVOR

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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
- "diplomatic immunity"
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "money laundering" ("anti-terrorist", "anti-money laundering" or "drug-free" certificates are a common way for criminals in fake lottery scams and other Advance Fee scams to get you to send money to them. There are no such certificates in the real banking world. )
- "clearance certificate" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "clearance certificate" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "huge sum of money" (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)
- "hundred thousand united states dollars" (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)
- ",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)
- "we advice you" (this email uses bad English)
- "economic financial crime commission" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
- "(efcc)" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
- "diplomatic immunity" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist 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: "FBI DIRECTOR" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <fbi-directorr@gazeta.pl>
Date: Sun, 20 Jul 2014 20:48:54 -0700
Subject: RE: YOU ARE BEING INVESTIGATED OVER A PENDING FUNDS TRANSFER MADE IN YOUR FAVOR

Dear Funds Beneficiary,
Attn: Mr./Mrs,

This is an official letter from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) foreign remittance/telegraphic transfers monitoring department.

The FBI had intercepted funds wire transfer amount US$10,500,000.00 that was made in your name as the beneficiary for final crediting into your personal bank account. The banks in Africa, Asia and Europe knowing full well that they do not have enough facilities to effect this payment through their corresponding banks used what we known as a “secret diplomatic transit payment” (S.D.T.P) to wire this fund to enable them achieve final crediting into your personal bank account.

Secret diplomatic wire transfers are funds relating to terrorist sponsoring. Why must your payment be made in secret transfer if your transaction is legitimate? If you are not a terrorist or drug dealer, then why did you not receive the money directly into your bank account? This is purely 100% illegal method of transferring funds which from our previous experiences have always been related to terrorist and drug activities. We do not want you to get into enormous trouble as soon as these funds reflect in your bank account, so it is our duties as a worldwide security commission to correct this little problem to allow this fund finally go into your bank account as initiated.

With full concern of the F.B.I, CIA, World Bank, IMF, United Nations and many international security entities, we wish to remind you of the consequences of remitting such huge sum of money without complying fully with the provisions of the Financial and Allied Matters Decree 5 as amended in sub-section C (6) of 2003, which stipulates that any monetary transaction of huge sum must have proper records that duly guarantees and covers the transaction as legitimate and legally acquired and not criminally or terrorist associated funds. This is due to the ongoing terrorist activities and economic crimes going on in the entire world.

We advice you respond to this notice immediately because your ten million, five hundred thousand united states dollars has been placed on hold here in United States based on the instruction of the FBI order until you can provide us with a Diplomatic Immunity Seal of Transfer (DIST) Clearance certificate (within 3 days) to fully regularize the transfer and certify that the funds you are about to receive is terrorist, drug and crimes free so that we shall instruct the Bank to release the funds to you immediately for your personal use.

You are to forward the DIST document to us immediately if you have it in your possession. But if you don’t have it, kindly let us know so that we can direct you to the particular government agency that issues this document because we have come to realize that the funds were authorized by the bank that did the transfer.

Any attempt by you not complying with our instructions is a federal crime punishable by law. So, we need your immediate response and cooperation on this to enable us resolves this matter amicable with your funds release to you.

WARNING: This E-mail and any of its attachments may contain FBI proprietary information, which is privileged, confidential, or subject to copyright belonging to FBI. This E-mail is intended solely for the use of the individual (YOU) to whom it is addressed. You are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, copying, or action taken in relation to the contents of and attachments to this E-mail is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful.

Regards,
James B. Comey, Jr.
Director, FBI
J. Edgar Hoover building
935 Pennsylvania Av,
NW Washington D.C.20535-0001.

CC: Canadian Police Association
CC: General Intelligence Department (GID)
CC: Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG)
CC: Egmont Group
CC: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
CC: Financial Action Task Force (FATF)
CC: International Monetary Fund (IMF)
CC: International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO)
CC: International Banking Security
CC: Association (IBSA)
CC: International Air Transport Association (IATA)
CC: Institut de Formation Interbancaire (INSIG)
CC: World Customs Organization (WCO)
CC: Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)
CC: Offshore Group of Banking Supervisors (OGBS)
CC: World Central Bank (SW)
CC: Nigeria Police Force (NPF)
CC: North Yorkshire Police ( UK )
CC: Economic Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam