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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: "FACEBOOK INC®. USA" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <facebookoffice.usa@californiamail.com>
Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2017 21:19:30 -0400
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS FROM FACEBOOK !!!

FACEBOOK ONLINE INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY
FROM: THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT.
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD.
CATEGORY: 2ND

Facebook is aimed at saying A BIG THANK YOU to all our Online Users
for making Facebook their number one means to Connect, Communicate,
Relate and Hookup with their Families, Love Ones and Friends over the
years.

So We are pleased to inform you of the result of the DRAW held on
(22ND OF AUGUST 2017) by Facebook Inc in CASH GIFT to encourage the
usage of Facebook Users world wide, your EMAIL ADDRESS was among the
50 Lucky Winners who won (Six Hundred Thousand United State Dollars)
each on the FACEBOOK CASH GIFT, Attached is your Ticket Number
(5647600545189), Lucky Number (2551256002/244) and Serial
Number (55643451907).

Kindly get back to us for further instructions as you are required to
contact our dispatch dept ( facebookoffice.usa@californiamail.com ) by signifying
your interest by providing your most confidential your NAME, CELL
PHONE NUMBER for quick communication also your HOME ADDRESS
and COUNTRY OF ORIGIN.

John Cole

Anti-fraud resources: