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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: "PAYMASTER GENERAL" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <info.payment.department@yandex.com>
Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 23:11:12 -0700
Subject: PAYMENT NOTIFICATION FROM PAYMASTER GENERAL

From the office of the Paymaster Of the Federation.
Paymaster General of Federation,
Nigeria at Federal Government of Nigeria.
Dr homas Frank.
Presidential Villa, Aso rock Abuja.
 
 
Dear Sir/ Madam,
 
 
The President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GCFRN), has giving a strong mandate to my office to pay all unpaid contractors, inheritance fund and Lottery winners whose funds were stopped by the Central Bank of Nigeria and other financial agencies. We have today started paying both local and foreign beneficiaries.
 
 
 
I noticed you were yet to be paid your Five Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars ($5,500,000.00). However, one Dr. Dion Lagfoss of England, United Kingdom through his lawyer filed in an application to claim your funds as your representative. Dr Dion Lagfoss told us you died 7months back in an auto crash.
 
 
 
We are sending you this letter to reconfirm if you are dead or alive before we pay out this money and if we do not read from you within 48hours, we shall immediately pay Mr. Dion Lagfoss the said sum as we shall believe that you are dead.
 
 
 
Kindly confirm the receipt of this mail as we shall not be held liable for any misdirection of your funds. Send your reply to   info.payment.department@yandex.com
 
 
 
Yours Faithfully,
 
Dr Thomas Frank.
 
Paymaster General of Federation.
Reply to info.payment.department@yandex.com

Anti-fraud resources: