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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: =?UTF-8?B?b2ZpZHBlIG9maWQ=?= <ofidpe@mail.ru>
Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2015 16:24:45 +0300
Subject: =?UTF-8?B?dXJnZW50?=

From: Desk of Director
Foreign Processing Department
OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID)
London United Kingdom

Attn:

You have been nominated to receive the sum of $1,000,000.00 (One Million USDOLLARS) in the 2015 OPEC Fund for International Development Program.

Your email address attached to secured file #: OPEC/762OFID/UK emerged as a beneficiary in Batch BT-XW-00-AMEA.

Be informed that OFID wishes to entrust the sum of $1,000,000.00 in your care for developmental purpose. The OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) is a foundation owned by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). This foundation is funded by member nations which include: Algeria, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela.

OFID is a development organization aimed at improving lives across the world. This program tagged “Grass-Roots Program” is part of efforts to improve standard of living through direct participation in community development across several communities all over the world by empowering selected individuals to implement and provide basic amenities to needing communities and organizations.

A Solemn Declaration of the Conference "reaffirmed the natural solidarity which unites OPEC countries with other developed and developing countries in their struggle to overcome underdevelopment," and called for measures to strengthen cooperation between these countries.

OPEC Fund has been undertaking several developmental projects across the world, but we have decided to take this approach in order to enhance proficiency and ensure grassroots development by reaching the local communities.

OFID Fund Aims At:

1. Promoting cooperation between OPEC Fund Member States and other developed and developing countries as an expression of solidarity with other nations of the world.
2. Helping particularly the poor, low-income countries in pursuit of their social and economic advancement.
3. Promoting equitable distribution of wealth.

This grant is designed into various categories; every member country is entitled to remit funds to three winners of this grant, with each winner entitled to $1,000,000.00 in this year's Program.

Your batch number BT-XW-00-AMEA falls among the set of beneficiaries that will be documented at the United Arab Emirate OPEC International Remittance office, this is where you will be documented, however you may carry out your project in any needing community in the world.

* State categorically your main point of agenda that you intend to focus this grant on for the empowerment of the local people around your community or any community around the world before the disbursement of funds can be finally approved.

* Provide a form of identification along with your particulars (VIA EMAIL ABOVE) which should include Full Names, Full Address, Occupation and Phone Numbers for documentation purpose.

You are to urgently respond to this mail with detailed information on how you plan to expend the funds in community development because that is the basis for this grant and not for personal luxury, you will equally remunerate yourself reasonably to ensure success of the project.

We await your swift response, congratulations from the OPEC Fund for International Development office.

Yours faithfully,

Dr. Fatma Al Khalaf

Publicity Directorate,
OPEC Fund for International Development Program

Anti-fraud resources: