419 Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam (2006-01)

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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:

This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
- "diplomatic immunity"
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "western union" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "money gram" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "mtcn" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "transfer of your funds" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "diplomatic immunity" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.

Fraud email example:

From: "BRIAN MOYNIHAN $CEO$" <drricharddaniel3@gmail.com>
Reply-To: "BRIAN MOYNIHAN $CEO$" <brianmoynihan171@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 3 Jul 2015 05:39:13 +0900 (JST)
Subject: =?iso-8859-1?Q?BANK_OF_AMERICA_=AECORPORATE_OFFICE_HEADQUARTERS=2C_CHARLO?=
=?iso-8859-1?Q?TTE=2C_NC_BANK_OF_AMERICA=2C_NA_MEMBER_FDIC=2E=A9_2011_BAN?=
=?iso-8859-1?Q?K_OF_AMERICA_CORPORATION=2E_ALL_RIGHTS_RESERVED=2EAR72768/?=
=?iso-8859-1?Q?DD6A66?=

Bank of America Corporate Office Headquarters
100 N.Tryon St Charlotte, NC 28255
Our Ref: BOA/IRU/SFE/15.5/WD/011
United States of America
Monday-Friday
8 am-9 pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
Saturday and Sunday
8 am-4 pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)

ATTENTION:

The Management of the Bank of America Corporate Office Headquarters
here in 100 N.Tryon St Charlotte, NC 28255 Wishes to INFORM you that
after a brief Meeting Held by the Bank executives Yesterday, the 1st
Days of July , 2015 at Precisely 12:39 Pm Eastern Daylight Time
(EDT), we deem it Appropriate to Intimate you that your funds will be
Transferred into the United States Treasury Account with the JP Morgan
Chase Headquarters at 270 Park Avenue in New York ACCORDING to the
record we got from Africa due to your INABILITY to Complete the
Transaction and your failure to meet up with a minor payment
obligation.

The Actual Transfer of your funds ($10.5 million) USD into the
Government account comes up next week. This is in line with the
instructions of the USA Treasurer, Mrs.Rosa Gumataotao Rios that all
Unclaimed funds be paid into the United States Government Treasury
Account as unserviceable funds in Compliancy to Section 3 subsection
1 (a) of the United States Financial Law enacted in 2010 after an
attack on Our dear Country on September 11,2010. Find below the
Profile of the Banking Institution where your funds will be
Transferred into following the Government Directive, And Note to
responds to US immediately you receive this email.

Name of Bank: The Bank Of New York
AC NO: 8900271779
Routing 021000018
Account Name: Claudius Rodrique Richardson

Note that if you still wish to Receive your funds do get back to us
Immediately so that we will remove your funds Transfer from the list
of Those Transactions to be Seized by the United States Government.
Also be informed that we need only a DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY SEAL OF
TRANSFER (DIST) to Complete the Wire transfer.The Fee to obtain the
SEAL was Reduced from $500 to $99 and no Other Fee is Involved.

You are Required to send the Fee of $99 via WESTERN UNION or money gram to the Issuing
Officer at the Bank where your Transaction originated as stated below:

BELLOW IS THE WESTERN UNION OR MONEY GRAM PAYMENT INFORMATION TO SEND THE $99 USD ONLY

Receiver's Name : ........... ELSON BLUM
Country: ........................ Benin republic
City: ........................... Cotonou
Amount: ....................... $99 USD
Question: ...............Be rest
Answer: ...............Assured
Sender's Name and address: .............
Sender's Phone Number............
MTCN: Or Reference Number

The name of the City from where the Money was sent If we Receive the
MTCN today, we will Transfer your funds (10.5 million) before we
Close Office and the funds will reflect in 3hours time after the transfer.We
will send you all the Transfer Documents to enable you to start making
Cash Withdrawals from your account Same Day the funds are
transferred.We have Waited for so Long and we Can not Continue to
wait.

Thank you for giving the U.S. Banking Opportunity to serve your needs.

Yours faithfully,
MR.BRIAN Moynihan (CEO)
Bank of America ®
Corporate Office Headquarters, Charlotte, NC
Bank of America, NA Member FDIC.
© 2011 Bank of America Corporation. All Rights reserved.
AR72768/DD6A66

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam