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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: google.co.uk <richard@hawkesbayracing.co.nz>
Reply-To: <jeff.dean@yandex.com>
Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2018 08:30:52 -0800
Subject: 2018 Batch.

Google Incorporation
Belgrave House
76 Buckingham Palace Road
London SW1W 9TQ, United Kingdom.
 
We wish to congratulate you over your success in the official publication of results Of the E-mail electronic online sweepstake organized by Google. Google earns its profit mainly from advertising using their very own Gmail, Google Maps, Google Apps, You Tube video sharing.
 
This is to inform you that you are among the Ten lucky winners of Category A. A Winning cheque will be issued in your name by the Google Promotion Award Team.
 
You have therefore won the whole sum of 950,000.00 {Nine Hundred and Fifty Thousand Great British Pounds}
 
Jeffrey Dean - Google Senior Fellow (Program Administrator/Coordinator)
Email: jeffreydean@gp-team.co.uk
 
VERIFICATION AND FUNDS RELEASE FORM.
(1) Your Residential Address/Private Email Address
(2) Your Tel/Fax Numbers
(3) Your Nationality/Country
(4) Your Full Name
(5) Occupation/Age/Gender
 
Note: Enclosed (Attached Document) to this email is a detailed information on how you can Claim your funds from the Google Corporations.
 
Sincerely.
Sundar Pichai - Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Google Inc™

Anti-fraud resources: