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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: "FBI Deputy Director" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <paul.m.abbate@daum.net>
Date: Sat, 13 Aug 2022 08:07:47 -0700
Subject: Re: Email From The Federal Bureau of Investigation

                                                            Federal Bureau of Investigation
                                                   Field Intelligence Groups J. Edgar Hoover Building
                                              935 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20535, USA
 
 
Attention: Beneficiary,
 
We sincerely apologize for sending you this sensitive information via e-mail instead of certified mail, post-mail, phone, or face-to-face conversation. It's due to the urgency and importance of the security information of our citizens. I'm Paul Abbate from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Field Intelligence Groups (FIGs). We intercepted two consignment boxes at JFK Airport, New York. The boxes were scanned and contained a large sum of money and some backup documents that bear your name as the beneficiary/receiver. After cross-checking all the legal documents in the boxes, we found out that your consignment was lacking an important document, and we can't release the boxes to the diplomat until the document is found. We have no other option than to confiscate your consignment.
 
You are required to reply within 72 hours. At that point, I will walk you through the process of clearing and claiming the money. Failure to comply may lead to your arrest, interrogation, and/or you being prosecuted in a court of law for tax evasion and/or money laundering. You are also instructed to desist from further contact with any bank(s) or person(s) in the United States, the United Kingdom, or any part of the world regarding your fund because your payment has been confiscated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation here in the United States.
 
Yours in Service,
Paul M. Abbate
The Deputy Director of the FBI

Anti-fraud resources: