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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: "Ms. Carla Grasso" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <richard.maxwell@op.pl>
Date: Fri, 23 Sep 2016 07:43:34 -0700
Subject: Dear customer confirm your first payment of $4,199 immediately

FOREIGN OPERATION MANAGER PAYMENT OFFICE
MoneyGram locations in Canton, OH
Address: 3825 southway st sw Canton, Ohio 45750, United States.
Office Tel: (216) 551-9971 Text or Call SMS!

Attention ! Attention !! Attention !!!

The International Monetary Fund Annual Compensation From USA.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is compensating some scam victims and your email address was found in the scam victims list. This Money Gram®office has been mandated by the IMF to transfer your compensation to you via MoneyGram®Money Transfer.

However, we have concluded to affect your own payment through MoneyGram®Money Transfer, $4,199.00 pay day until the total sum of $1.3 Million United States is completely transferred to you the receiver. We cannot be able to send the payment with your email address alone, we are hereby needed your information to where we will be sending the funds. You Can Text or Call us and fill below Information or email us via email.

(Receivers name)............
(Country).......................
(Address)................................
(Phone Number).....................
(Your Age)..................................
(ID copy)............. ..................

NOTE: That your payment files will be returned to the IMF within 72hours if we did not hear from you because this was the instruction given to us by the IMF office here in Ohio, USA. We will start the transfer as soon as we received your information. You are hereby warned not to communicate or duplicate this message for any reason what so ever because the US FBI is already on trace of the criminals from Africa.

NOTICE: To text or call this office for any question.

Name: Mr. Richard Maxwell
Manager Director for MoneyGram Ohio USA.
Office Tel: (216) 551-9971 Text or Call SMS!

Ms. Carla Grasso,
Senior Officials of the International Monetary Fund.

Anti-fraud resources: