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:
- "the 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)
- "trunk box" (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)
- "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)
- "the diplomat " ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- "a diplomat " ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- streinbuckpaul@yahoo.com (Yahoo; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: James Streinbuck <openoffice2020@gmail.com>
Reply-To: jamesstreinbuck1122@yahoo.com
Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2017 12:19:14 +0100
Subject: RE: (Operations, Maintenance, Transportation), Please Re-confirm Your
Information

Interim Assistant General Manager,
(Operations, Maintenance, Transportation)
Gerald R. Ford International Airport
5500 44th St SE, Grand Rapids
MI 49512, Michigan United States

Hello Good Friend

Your Abandoned Package For Delivery

I am Mr James Streinbuck, head of luggage/baggage storage facilities
(Operations, Maintenance, Transportation) here at the Gerald R. Ford
International Airport, Michigan USA. During my recent WITHHELD PACKAGE
routine check at the Airport Storage Vault, I discovered an abandoned
shipment from a Diplomat from London and when i scanned it, it revealed
an undisclosed sum of money in a Metal Trunk Box weighing approximately
110kg. The consignment was abandoned because the Contents of the
consignment was not properly declared by the consignee as "MONEY" rather
it was declared as personal effect to avoid interrogation as well as,
the inability of the diplomat to pay for the United States Non
Inspection Charges which is $3,700USD. The details of the consignment
including your name, your email address and the official documents from
the United Nations office in Geneva are tagged on the Trunk box.
However, to enable me confirm if you are the actual recipient of this
consignment, I will advise you provide your current Phone Number and
Full Address, to enable me cross check if it corresponds with the
address on the official documents including the name of nearest Airport
around your city. Please note that this consignment is supposed to have
been returned to the United States Treasury Department as unclaimed
delivery due to the delay in concluding the clearance processes so as a
result of this, I will not be able to receive your details on my
official email account. So in order words to enable me cross check your
details, I will advise you send the required details to my private email
address for quick processing and response. Once I confirm you as the
actual recipient of the trunk box, I can get everything concluded within
48 hours upon your acceptance and proceed to your address for delivery.

Lastly, be informed that the reason I have taken it upon myself to
contact you personally about this abandoned consignment because I want
us to transact this business and share the money 70% for you and 30% for
me since the consignment has not yet been returned to the United States
Treasury Department after being abandoned by the diplomat so
immediately the confirmation is made, I will go ahead and pay for the
United States Non Inspection Fee of $3,700 dollars and arrange for the
box to be delivered to your doorstep Or I can bring it by myself to
avoid any more trouble but you have to assure me of my 30% share. I
wait to hear from you urgently if you are still alive and I will
appreciate if we can keep this deal confidential. Please get back to me
via my private Email:( streinbuckpaul@yahoo.com) for further
directives.

Thanks,

Mr James Streinbuck

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam