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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: "Investigation (FBI)" <ayman@electro.com.sa>
Reply-To: <fbi_Washington@usa.com>
Date: Fri, 5 Dec 2014 10:26:36 -0800
Subject: RE:TOP URGENT FROM (FBI)

 
Anti-Terrorist And Monetary Crimes Division
FBI Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
Federal Bureau Of Investigation
J.Edgar Hoover Building
935 Pennsylvania Avenue, Nw Washington, D.C. 20535-0001
www.fbi.gov
 
Email:  fbi_Washington@usa.com
 
Attention:Sir,
 
 
We sincerely apologized for sending you this sensitive information via e-mail instead of a certified mail, post-mail, phone or face -to- face
conversation,it is due to the urgency.
 
 
 
This e-mail has been issued to you in order to officially inform you that we Have completed an investigation on an International Payment in which was Issued to you by an International Lottery Company. With the help of our Newly developed technology (International Monitoring Network System)
we Discovered that your e-mail address was automatically selected by an Online Balloting System, this has legally won you the sum of $3.5 million USD  from a Lottery Company outside the United States of America during our Investigation we discovered that your e-mail won the money from an
Online Balloting System and we have authorized this winning to be paid to you via INTERNATIONAL CERTIFIED BANK DRAFT WITH ALL LEGAL DOCUMENTS.
 
 
 
Normally, it will take up to 3 to 5 business days for an INTERNATIONAL CERTIFIED BANK DRAFT by your local bank We have successfully notified this company on Your behalf that funds are to be drawn from a registered bank within  the World winded, so as to enable you cash the check instantly without any Delay, henceforth the stated amount of $3.5million USD has been  deposited With International Monetary Fund(IMF).
 
 
 
We have completed this investigation and you are hereby approved to receive The winning prize as we have verified the entire transaction to be Safe  and 100% risk free, due to the fact that the funds have been deposited with  IMF You will be required to settle the following bills directly to the Lottery Agent in-charge of this transaction that is located in COTONOU, BENIN REPUBLIC According to our discoveries, you were required to pay for the Following,
 
 
 
(1) Deposit Fee's (IMF INTERNATIONAL CLEARANCE CERTIFICATE)
(2) Shipping Fee's (This is the charge for shipping the Cashier's Cheque to your home address)
 
 
 
The total amount for everything is $175 we have tried our possible best to Indicate that this $175 should be deducted from your winning prize but we Found out that the funds have already been deposited to the IMF and cannot be Accessed by anyone apart from you the winner, therefore you will
be required To pay the required fee's to the Agent in-charge of this transaction.
 
 
 
In order to proceed with this transaction, you will be required to contact The agent in-charge (Mr.Douglas Zuma) via e-mail Kindly look below to find Appropriate contact information:
 
 
CONTACT AGENT NAME:  MR.DOUGLAS ZUMA
 
E-MAIL :   (   imfbeninrepublic@email.com   )
 
Direct Phone : +229 991 23970
 
 
You will be required to e-mail him with the following information:
 
 
FULL NAME:
ADDRESS:
CITY:
STATE:
ZIP CODE:
DIRECT CONTACT
OCCUPATION:
 
 
 
You will also be required to request Western Union or Money Gram details on How to send the required $175 in order to immediately ship your prize of $3.5million USD via INTERNATIONAL CERTIFIED BANK DRAFT from IMF, also Include the following transaction code in order for him to
immediately Identify this transaction: EA2948-910.
 
 
 
This letter will serve as proof that the Federal Bureau Of Investigation is Authorizing you to pay the required $175 ONLY to Mr.Douglas Zuma via Information in which he shall send to you,
 
 
THANKS FOR YOUR CO-OPERATION.
 
Yours in Service,
 
Federal Bureau of Investigation  Director (F B I)
Mr. James B.Comey.

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