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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: "Christine Lagarde" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <Lagarde.Christine@imf809.onmicrosoft.com>
Date: Sat, 27 Jun 2015 07:52:23 -0700
Subject: Your Outstanding Payment, Mrs. Chanel S. Jones Said You Are Dead, Are You Still Alive?netoe

Attention: Beneficiary.

This is to inform you of your long overdue Payment outstanding in our Banking records. I saw your name in our Central Computer vetting system among our unpaid inheritance claims individuals and have to update your information’s through this email contact for your immediate confirmation.

You are among the beneficiaries who will be receiving their over due payment of US$10,500,000.00 (Ten million, five hundred thousand United State dollars) and it has been approved already for payment some days ago. However we received an email from one Mrs. Chanel S. Jones of Minden, Louisiana who told us that she is your next of kin and that you died in a fatal car accident last four months back. She has also submitted her bank account details to us for transfer of the fund to her as your inheritor. Below is the new banking details we received from Mrs. Chanel S. Jones.

Carter Federal Credit Union
918 Homer Road, Minden, Louisiana. 71055
Routing # 311175983
Account # 1019784
Acct. Holder: Chanel S. Jones

We are now verifying by contacting you before we can make the transfer into her account, and for us to know if you are dead or not. Please confirm response immediately before our action release of the outstanding payment against your name listed out. Upon this, I request you to send your full personal information such as: Full name, full address, Direct phone number and copy of your identification as soon as possible to enable us finalize the transfer of the fund to your bank account.

Once again, proper confirmation required urgently from you if you are still alive.

Yours Sincerely,

Mrs. Christine Lagarde
Director, IMF

Anti-fraud resources: