419 scam: "ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN STATES (ECOWAS)"<master@smscrewmail.net> URGENT IMPORTANT NOTICE

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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 phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "hundred thousand united states dollars" (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)
- ",500,000" (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)
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "you are advice to " (this email uses bad English)
- "dear beneficiary," (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
- "(ecowas)" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
- "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
- "abuja" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "brown.dawson@qq.com" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.

Fraud email example:

From: "ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN STATES (ECOWAS)" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <brown.dawson@qq.com>
Date: Sat, 17 Oct 2015 21:54:13 -0700
Subject: URGENT IMPORTANT NOTICE

ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN STATES (ECOWAS)
ECOWAS EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT
60, Yakubu Gowon Crescent,
Asokoro District P.M.B. 401
Abuja, Nigeria.

DEAR BENEFICIARY,

In conjunction with the UNITED NATIONS (UN), ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN STATES (ECOWAS), and ORGANIZATION OF AFRICAN UNITY (OAU), we hereby officially notifying you regarding your payment released. You are awarded and entitled to receive sum of THREE MILLION, FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS, only (US$3,500,000.00) as compensation. Through our FILES/RECORDS it was discovered that your NAME and E-MAIL ADDRESS was among the SCAM VICTIMS who are yet to receive their compensation fund.

After our thorough research, records and investigations on those who has been scammed within this ECOWAS region, we discovered that you are involved and your NAME and E-MAIL ADDRESS WAS SELECTED AMONG THOSE WHO HAS NOT YET RECEIVED THEIR COMPENSATION FUND. Therefore we are using this opportunity right now to inform you officially that your payment/fund valued THREE MILLION, FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS, only (US$3,500,000.00) has been approved, signed and released for immediate TRANSFER to you.

This FUND/PAYMENT is compensation to you for being among the scammed victims. It is being sponsored and initiated by the "WORLD BANK, UNITED NATIONS, ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN STATES (ECOWAS), and ORGANIZATION OF AFRICAN UNITY (OAU)". We are contacting you once again because we discovered and noticed that you have not received your PAYMENT/FUND yet therefore you are advice to contact our PAYMENT AGENT/OFFICER in order to claim your fund/payment immediately.

Do contact our PAYMENT AGENT/OFFICER with the following information/details below,

Contact Person/Payment Agent: Mr. Brown Dawson
Personal E-mail Address: brown.dawson@qq.com

Yours Faithfully,

Dr. Dick Madison.
Secretary General
ECOWAS, Abuja,
Nigeria.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam