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:

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:
- "western union" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "money gram" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "mtcn" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "consignment " (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "transfer of your funds" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "million us dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr.Chris Raymond" <"www."@dream.ocn.ne.jp>
Reply-To: "Mr.Chris Raymond" <Chrisraymond69@mail.com>
Date: Sun, 20 Aug 2017 01:36:55 +0900 (JST)
Subject: Greetings and compliments,(Dear Beneficiary Your $36 Million Us
Dollars to you")

Greetings and compliments,(Dear Beneficiary Your $36 Million Us Dollars to you")

I am Mr.Chris Raymond, the Chair person in charge of Treasury Department
International wire transfers United States Of America Federal Ministry of
Finance. You are to contact me because i would like to inform you that your
funds was brought to my desk this morning because the director and the
management of the Western Union and Money Gram Money Transfer have declared to
divert your funds to the government treasury account just because you can not
pay the wire transfer fee. In reasoning wisely to this complain I told them to
wait until I heard from you so that I will know the reason why you decide to
reject such amount of money of $36 Million Us Dollars which is your rightful
and legal overdue inheritance payment just because of the transfer fee.

The reason why I sent this email to you is because its your sweat and for this
reason you still have this last chance to claim your funds if you can send only
$98.00 today because I have already arranged your wires ready for its daily
wires to you but failing to do this, I will allow them to have power over your
funds and am very sorry if you failed as this is the last chance.

Therefore, send the $98.00 immediately you have received this email today and
email your full name and address to me if you want your $36 Million Us Dollars
to be send to you by Western Union or Money Gram Money Transfer Office but the
maximum amount officially allow for it per day wire to you is $4500.00 per day
until you received your complete funds of $36 Million Us Dollars from here.
The second option is for you to send me the full details of your bank account
if you want your fund to be fully transferred by direct bank to bank wire
transfer to your bank account at once or your funds of $36 Million Us Dollars
will be converted to an ATM CARD and it will be delivered to your home address
or the funds of $36 Million Us Dollars will be delivered to you in Cash in form
of Consignment Box, all you have to do is to send the $98.00 and email the MTCN
numbers to me, you are to indicate your wish to receive your funds to you as I
have stated above and the funds will be released to you without any
hitch.

Here is the Western Union or Money Gram information in the name of my
accountant to avoid delay in receiving your funds and remember that I have done
my best for you and I will make sure that your wire will begin to be released
to you from the moment you send this $98.00. Send the $98.00 now and send me
email with the Western Union MTCN or Money Gram reference number when you send
the money and you will send the money to the Country Origin of your funds.

Information to send the $98.00 through Money Gram Or Western Union only

Receivers Name.........JEFF UDE
Pay-Out Country..... Benin Republic
Pay-Out City........Cotonou.
Address: Sian-Pierre Paul Cotonou, Benin-Republic.
Test Question........God
Answer................Bless.
Amount to send: ...$98.00 only
Mtcn numbers.........
Sender,s name........

Your are required to come on with this information below so that the transfer
of your funds will take on immediately

YOUR FULL NAME.....................
YOUR DATE OF BIRTH.................
YOUR POSTAL/HOME ADDRESS...........
YOUR SEX...........................
YOUR COUNTRY.......................
YOUR STATE.........................
YOUR CITY..........................
YOUR OCCUPATION....................
YOUR MOBILE PHONE NUMBER...........
YOUR PASSPORT ID...................

Once you have send the money you should send email to me with the MTCN control
number,amount sent, name and address of sender for easy collection and the
funds will be released to you immediately without any hitch.

Thanks.
Mr.Chris Raymond,
Treasury Department International
Wire Transfers Federal Ministry of Finance United States Of America,

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam