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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: "REV.JAMES PAULSON" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <revrichardpaulson@yahoo.com.ph>
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 2015 13:54:34 +0100
Subject: I CRAVE YOUR INDULGENCE IN THIS ISSUE

Dear

We are to notify you that your payment have been approved for your long overdue lump sum. This decision was made last week during an executive meeting where it was decided that all financial organization and all Nations Central banks and financial institutes should pay all outstanding deposits and goodwill offers which has been held by Governments or banks due to beneficiary’s inability to meet up with high transfer charges.With this development, a woman by name (Colette Ballard) came to our office with an application stating that you gave her the power of attorney to be the beneficiary of your outstanding lump sum. She made us to believe that you are dead. We got your email address through our data base and decided to send an email through this address hoping to find out if you are dead or alive and also to find out if you at any time gave this woman the power of attorney to represent you.

Please let us know also if you are aware that we are almost ready to transfer the payment of your outstanding funds to her nominated bank account as stated below:

First National Bank
2008 Pratt Ave. Bellevue
Nebraska 68123
Account Number 20172378410
Routing Number 104000016.
Beneficiary: Colette Ballard

If you are not aware of the above instruction, do respond to this email immediately by contacting the AFRICAN REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF WORLD BANK (REV.RICHARD PAULSON) for immediate transfer of your funds.
Be informed that you are not allowed to correspond or contact any person or office with respect to this transfer other than this office. If you are still alive, you should reconfirm your information below;

1) YOUR FULL NAME
2) RESIDENCE ADDRESS, CITY, STATE AND COUNTRY
3) PERSONAL CELL PHONE, FAX AND MOBILE PHONE NUMBER

Best regards,

REV.JAMES PAULSON
AFRICAN REGIONAL DIRECTOR
WORLD BANK
(revrichardpaulson@yahoo.com.ph)

Anti-fraud resources: