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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: " John P. Torres" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <uscustom012@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 4 Jun 2020 06:42:56 -0700
Subject: U.S. Customs and Border protection Enforcement.

U.S. Customs and Border protection Enforcement
Albany International Airport
Federal Inspection Service (FIS)
6 Jetway Drive
Building #112
Albany, NY 12211

Email address: uscustom012@gmail.com

Attention Fund beneficiary

We have been instructed to release your Consignment Box containing the
sum of $3.5million,under the Unit of U.S. Customs and Border
Protection seized, which has been in our custody for a long time, due
to your inability to provide the Clearance certificates, which you
were asked to obtain from Africa were the fund was Originated from.

You are very lucky after our investigation last month the US
Department of States instructed that we should release to the
beneficiaries all the fund being held under our custody, even the fund
and some items that was seized by the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security & IMF -- International Monetary Fund are here now in our
custody, so you are hereby advice to come to this office in order to
claim your fund immediately.

Furthermore you are advised to comply with the instructions herein
stated without delay.
Find below the office address:

U.S. Custom and Border Protection.
Albany International Airport
Federal Inspection Service (FIS)
6 Jetway Drive
Building #112
Albany, NY 12211
Reply to this Email address: uscustom012@gmail.com

Urgent get back to us.

Faithfully Yours,
John P. Torres
The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Operations

Anti-fraud resources: