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:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
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:
- "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- baselahmad_un@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Basel Ahmad \"Director foreign Operation Dept\""
<jerzy.ciszek@mixsystem.pl>
Reply-To: baselahmad_un@hotmail.com
Date: Fri, 01 Jan 2016 14:34:30 +0100
Subject: Re: Reply

--

Dear,

I am Mr. Basel Ahmad, the Newly appointed Director Foreign Remittance
Department in this Bank. While going through the foreign beneficiaries
files on my desk, I discovered your information among the list of the
beneficiaries whom has not received their approved payment from this
bank as was directed by the authorities, I also made further search and
discovered that you have fulfilled all the necessary obligation that
will enable you receive this payment, but all your efforts toward
receiving this funds was abortive and to no avail.

So I contacted the appropriate quarters to verify the reasons why your
funds was not released to you up till date, but there was no clear
reasons nor explanations was given to me towards that effect. On this
note, I therefore concluded that your payment was unnecessarily delayed
by some corrupt officials of the bank in collaboration with some
agencies who has the intention of diverting your funds to their private
account just to satisfy their selfish interest.

However, I apologize for the inconveniences you must have undergone in
the pursuit of this funds, and now to redeem the reputation of this
great bank and to deliver my duties effectively, I am hereby assuring
you that your payment would be made to you within the next 48 hours
upon your reconfirmation of your banking details to me.

Therefore without hesitation, you are advised to furnish us with your
residential address, your occupation and your banking coordinates
immediately so we could commence on your fund transfer, hence I have the
mandate to deliver this duty in a timely manner. Do get back to us on
the following for our perusal. Thanks in anticipation of your
co-operation, while we looking forward to serving you with the best of
our services and do also contact me directly to :
baselahmad_un@hotmail.com.

Regards,

Mr. Basel Ahmad,
Director foreign Operation Dept.
E-mail: baselahmad_un@hotmail.com
For; And on behalf of the Invest Bank London - UK.

This email is not a spam.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam