419 Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam (YYYY-MM)

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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. )
- "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. )
- "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: "John Glover Roberts Jr," <mtrump45@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: "John Glover Roberts Jr," <piiygvcx@yeah.net>
Date: Mon, 2 Oct 2017 18:03:36 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: I WILL DIVERT YOUR FUNDS TO US GOVERNMENT TREASURY. PLEASE TREAT
THIS AS MATTER OF URGENCY.

SUPREME COURT OF UNITED STATES.
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington DC 20500. USA.
From: John Glover Roberts Jr,
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States

Attention Please:

I am John Glover Roberts Jr, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of United States. I wish to inform you that we have received an email from Keith Brian Alexander stating that your funds in their custody will be deported because you refused to renew your funds document that expired during the process of the funds to your destination. After your diplomat left the funds, they contacted you and you ignored their massages then they decided to divert your fund to US Government Treasury.

They contacted us regarding the divert of the funds and we asked them to hold on let's confirm from you before any action would be taken.

We have concluded every necessary arrangement regards the renewing of the said certificate today, to renew the document will cost you the sum of $68 and it is been renewed, it will be faxed to Keith Brian Alexander in order to complete the release now that the funds is in United State.

However, I want to guarantee you 100% that the document will be renew immediately the fee of $68 is received from you before the end of the day. Therefore, be advice to urgently send the needed fee to us, so that the paper will renewed and signed for commencement of your funds which will be finalize within today or tomorrow.

Due to the urgency of this matter, you are advised to send the fee to my agent with the below stated information's via western union money transfer only.

Receivers name: Ikem Joe
Country: Benin Republic.
City: Cotonou
Text question: Color
Text answer: Green
AMOUNT: $68
MTCN:

Furnish this office with the payment details involving your full information, once the payment is made, you can email me your direct cell phone number so that I can call you as soon as the document is renewed so that you will be ready to receive it with all pleasure.

Yours Faithfully,

John Glover Roberts Jr,
CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT OF UNITED STATES

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam