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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: "IMF-AD." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <imf.officeeu1@europe.com>
Date: Thu, 12 Mar 2015 17:37:22 +0100
Subject: CONGRATULATION....GET BACK FOR MORE INFO

Dear recipient,

This is to notify you that the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank has allocated a financial grant of US$2,500,000.00 to you and few other beneficiaries recommended by FBI/CIA for financial empowerment as victims of cyber fraud. IMF and World Bank enacted this program to create financial empowerment and rehabilitation for the selected beneficiaries. You are hereby required to contact our finance department in UK for the release of your financial grant as instruction for the processing and release of your grant has been transmitted to them and the paying bank respectively, therefore you should direct your response to our finance department through this email: info@imf-ng.org

Endeavour to send the following details while making your contact for verification and subsequent release of your financial grant.
========================================= ==========
1. Full Names:
2. Address:..
3. Telephone/Mobile:.
4. Age and Gender:.
5. Nationality:
6. Occupation:
7. Bank Name and Address:.
===================================================
Signed:
Mr. Vitor Gaspar,
Fiscal Affairs Department Director,
International Monetary Fund
Washington DC 20431, USA.

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Anti-fraud resources: