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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: "mecfea" <mecfea@xcontrol.it>
Date: Sat, 2 Feb 2019 13:03:49 -0500
Subject: Awaiting

U.S. Department of Treasury
1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington D.C 20220, USA.

ATTENTION

This is to bring to your notice that the US Department of Treasury in affiliation with the Office of Foreign Assets Control ("OFAC") has been authorized in their Sanction Programs to compensate 150 scammed victims from United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, India, Other Asia, America, Europe And Africa who has being a victim of internet scam. The US Department of the Treasury has decided to pay you $1,320,000.00 Million USD (One Million, Three Hundred and Twenty Thousand United States Dollars) each to restore the global economy to the enviable standard of respectability.

Your details were released by one of the syndicates who was arrested as one of the victims of their operations. You are hereby warned not to communicate or duplicate this message to him or her for any reason whatsoever as the US SECRET SERVICE is already tracking the other criminals, these information should remain confidential till they are all apprehended, other victims who have not been contacted can submit their application as well for scrutiny and possible consideration.

You are to revert confidentially and directly with your details to this Official Contact Email ( US.TREASURYDEPTT@OUTLOOK.COM ) for the immediate release of your $1,320,000.00 Million USD compensation fund to your Bank Account in your country of Residence through Intermediary Online Swift Bank Transfer.

Best Regards,
Steven Mnuchin
U.S Secretary of Treasury

Anti-fraud resources: