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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "FEDERAL RESERVE BANK" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <federalreservebanka@usa.com>
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 2016 09:25:40 -0700
Subject: FOR YOUR INFORMATION....

DARLY MARTIN FEDERAL RESERVE BANK UNITED STATES OF AMERICA This is to inform you that we have received a payment instruction from Mr. Victor Manankov, a Russian citizen demanding that we should transfer your funds to him, as you have given him the mandate and authorization for him to receive your funds interest of (Twelve Million, Four Hundred and Sixty-Eight Million United States Dollars). Note that he has given us a bank account in Russia, where we should transfer your funds to him without delay. VTB Bank Russia Bank Address: 43 Ul. Vorontsovskaya, Moscow, 109044 Russia Bank Tel: +7 (495) 739-77-99 Account name: Victor Manankov Account number: 05334599 Swift code: VTBRRUMM IBAN number: RU643VB40702810000350137480 Please, find his passport attached in this email for you to verify and identify if you have truly instructed and directed him to receive your funds.We have informed him to get an official Power of Authorization from you, before we will release the funds to him, which we are still waiting for. However, we want to inform and confirm to us at the FRB that you actually authorized him: you have within the next five (5) official working days to get back to us on this notice or we will release the funds to him. Yours truly, Darly Martin Federal Reserve Bank United States of America Direct line: +1(210)417-4678

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