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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: USA CUSTOMS SERVICES <elig.yoder@gmail.com>
Reply-To: mr.philipallin@yahoo.fr
Date: Thu, 8 Jun 2017 10:32:26 +0100
Subject: USA CUSTOMS SERVICES AUTHORITY

CUSTOMS SERVICES USA AUTHORITY COUNTRY DR.PHILIP ALLEN ASSISTANT
MANAGER DFW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 3200 EAST AIRFIELD DFW TX 75261


ATTENTION: MY DEAR FRIEND.

PLEASE THERE IS SOMETHING BEWILDERED WHICH I DO NOT UNDERSTOOD
(MR.EDWARD CHARLES) YOUR BROTHER IS TRYING TO MAKE US BELIEVE THAT YOU
ARE IN SICK BED AND NOT CAPABLE TO HANDLE THE TRANSACTION AGAIN. HE
EVEN EXPLAINED THAT YOU ENTERED INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH HIM THEREBY
MAKING HIM THE CURRENT BENEFICIARY OF THE CONSIGNMENT BOX .YOUR
CONSIGNMENT BOX WHICH WAS CONFISCATED BY THIS US CUSTOM OFFICE IN
DALLAS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TX.

HE CLAIMED TO BE YOUR NEXT OF KIN AND HE IS HERE TO SEND THE NEEDED
FEE OF $75 TO BENIN REPUBLIC FOR THE INSURANCE OF THE ORIGINAL AWARD
OWNERSHIP CERTIFICATE DOCUMENTS,THAT IS WHY I AM WRITING THIS MESSAGE
TO YOU TODAY, IN VIEW OF THIS DEVELOPMENT. YOU ARE REQUESTED TO
CONFIRM TO THIS OFFICE THE TRUTH OF THIS MATTER, WHETHER WE RELEASE
THE CONSIGNMENT BOX TO YOUR BROTHER,

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU AND TO VERIFY WHETHER YOU ARE THE ONE THAT
SENT HIM TO RECEIVE THE CONSIGNMENT BOX BEFORE WE CAN ALLOW HIM TO
SEND THE $75 FOR THE MAN IN CHARGE OF THE CERTIFICATE OF OWNERSHIP
MR.EJIMOFOR ALBERT. PLEASE, DO CONFIRM TO ME, AS A MATTER OF URGENCY
IF THIS MAN IS REALLY FROM YOU SO THAT THIS OFFICE WILL NOT BE HELD
RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING WRONG PERSON.

BE ADVICE THAT WE ARE READY TO RELEASE YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX TO
MR.EDWARD CHARLES AND I DON'T THINK YOU WILL BLAME ANY PERSON IF THIS
HAPPEN TO YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX WHICH YOU HAVE ALREADY PAID SOME MONEY
TO THE GOVERNMENT OF BENIN IN THE PAST, THAT IS ALL I NEED TO TELL YOU
NOW. PLEASE YOU SHOULD RESPOND URGENTLY TO ENABLE US TO KNOW WHETHER
YOU WERE THE ONE THAT SENT HIM BECAUSE THERE IS NUMEROUS SCAM THAT IS
GOING ON IN THE WORLD TODAY WHICH YOU MUST BE AWARE OF.

IF YOU ARE VERY SURE THAT YOU ARE NOT THE ONE THAT SENT MR.EDWARD
CHARLES AS AN INSIDER IN THIS FINANCIAL INSTITUTION, GO AHEAD NOW AND
SEND THE $75 WITH THE PAYMENT INFORMATION'S IN ORDER TO ENABLE BENIN
HIGH COURT OBTAIN THIS NEEDED CERTIFICATES SO THAT YOUR CONSIGNMENT
BOX WILL BE DELIVERED TO YOUR ADDRESS TO AVOID LOSING YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX.

Here is the information you will use to send the $75.00

RECEIVER NAME: ANTHONY OBIELUO
CITY.............. COTONOU
COUNTRY.........BENIN
TEST QUESTION:.............TODAY
ANSWER:..................... URGENT
AMOUNT:$75.00
MTCN No#.....

YOUR OUR CONSIGNMENT BOX IS HERE FOR LONGTIME NOW DUE TO YOUR DELAY
AFTER THE DIPLOMAT AGENT ARRIVE FROM AFRICAN WITH THE OUR CONSIGNMENT
BOX AND WE ARE TO GIVE YOU 1-2 BUSINESS DAYS? WE NEED IT AT THE OFFICE
WITHIN 1-2 BUSINESS DAYS OR WE WELL RELEASED YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX TO
(MR.EDWARD CHARLES)

FURTHER DELAY WE SHOULD RELEASE THE CONSIGNMENT BOX TO MR MR.EDWARD
CHARLES. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED TO RECEIVED YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX GO
AHEAD RIGHT NOW TO SEND THE $75 OTHERWISE I WILL LET THEM RELEASE THE
CONSIGNMENT BOX TO MR.EDWARD CHARLES WHO IS READY TO SEND THE MONEY
AND CLAIM IT. MOREOVER, IF YOU HAVE THE IN YOUR POSITION YOU CAN
FORWARD IT TO ME FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX AND
DELIVERY TO YOUR ADDRESS WITHIN 3HOURS

BEST REGARDS
DR.PHILIP ALLEN ASSISTANT MANAGER
CUSTOMS SERVICES USA AUTHORITY COUNTRY

Anti-fraud resources: