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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: "19/01/2016" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <agri.lanban@websurfer.co.za>
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 2016 04:42:15 -0800
Subject: FUND APPROVED''

MS CATHERINE POLLARD UNDER SECRETARY GENERAL COORDINATOR  FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
 
UNITED NATIONS OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL OVERSIGHT SERVICES (OIOS)
 
Internal Audit, Monitoring, Consulting and Investigations Division
 
Attention: Beneficiary,
 
This is Ms. Catherine Pollard, the newly appointed United Nations Under-Secretary-General for coordinating the overall implementation of multilingualism Secretariat-wide.for International Compensation Verification Department. As the trusted head of his kitchen cabinet, I have vetted and listed your payment for immediate priority attention based on your genuineness of your claim vis-a-vis the extortion you have been subjected to by both our local and foreign official and financial correspondent institutions alike.
 
Your payment file has been approved as the true beneficiaries to receive a compensation fund of (Ten Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) Only. Therefore base on the direction by our Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, We have agreed with African Union AU Chairperson President Boni Yayi that US$10,500,000.00 (Ten Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) Only would be paid to you through our corresponding Paying Bank here in South Africa.
 
Henceforth, the funds in question is very legal and true, as all you are advised to do is to select your payment option from the four payment option as indicated below to receive your funds:
 
1) BY SWIFT WIRE TRANSFER (KTT)
2) BY DIPLOMATIC CASH DELIVERY
3) ONLINE BANKING ACCOUNT TRANSFER
4) COMING DOWN TO THE BANK AND CLAIM YOUR FUNDS
 
This has been agreed upon and signed by African Union-United Nations Joint Chief Mediator. You are strictly advised to contact our Payment Department Agent Mpumi Tyikwe of our paying center in Africa, as he is our representative in South Africa. Contact him immediately for your Compensation Funds of (US$10.5Million).
 
Based on the Mode of Payment you have selected above, you are required to contact the above person and furnish him with the following details, your full information which will be required to avoid any mistakes in transferring your funds: - Your full name, address and telephone number to enable this office proceed on your behalf within 24 hours of releasing your Compensation Funds for further procedures.
 
DIRECTOR IN CHARGE: MPUMI TYIKWE
E-MAIL: info.landbankltd@safrica.com
 
You are also advised by this email to advancing funds to any persons with respect to your payment, while you forward the names, email addresses and evidence of payments you have made to these impostors and fraudsters to enable the security agencies spread their dragnet towards apprehending these crooks.
 
Further details will be issued to you upon receiving your reply.
 
Sincerely yours,
Ms Catherine Pollard.
(Under-Secretary-General)

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