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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: "Robert S. Mueller, III" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <fdemilini@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Fri, 12 Feb 2010 10:06:53 -0800
Subject: FROM FBI

ANTI-TERRORIST AND MONITARY CRIMES DIVISION
FBI HEADQUARTERS IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
J. EDGAR HOOVER BUILDING
935 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, NW WASHINGTON, D.C. 20535-0001
Website: www.fbi.gov
http://www.fbi.gov/majcases/fraud/fraudschemes.htm
 
ATTENTION FUND BENEFICIARY,
 
THIS IS AN OFFICIAL ADVICE FROM THE FBI FOREIGN REMITTANCE/TELEGRAPHIC DEPT.,IT HAS COME TO OUR NOTICE THAT THE C.B.N BANK NIGERIA DISTRICT HAS RELEASED 10,500,000.00 U.S DOLLARS INTO BANK OF AMERICA IN YOUR NAME AS THE  BENEFICIARY,BY INHERITANCE MEANS.
 
THE C.B.N BANK NIGERIA KNOWING FULLY WELL THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH FACILITIES TO EFFECT THIS PAYMENT FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM TO YOUR  ACCOUNT, USED WHAT WE KNOW AS A SECRET DIPLOMATIC TRANSIT PAYMENT S.T.D.P TO PAY THIS FUND THROUGH WIRE TRANSFER,THEY USED THIS MEANS TO COMPLETE THE PAYMENT.
 
THEY ARE STILL, WAITING FOR CONFIRMATION FROM YOU ON THE ALREADY  TRANSFERRED FUNDS WHICH WAS MADE IN DIRECT TRANSFER SO THAT THEY CAN DO FINAL  CREDITING TO YOUR ACCOUNT. SECRET DIPLOMATIC PAYMENTS ARE NOT MADE UNLESS THE FUNDS  ARE RELATED TO TERRORIST ACTIVITIES WHY MUST YOUR PAYMENT BE MADE IN   SECRET TRANSFER , IF YOUR TRANSACTION IS LEGITIMATE,IF YOU ARE NOT A  TERRORIST, THEN WHY DID YOU NOT RECEIVE THE MONEY DIRECTLY INTO YOUR ACCOUNT,THIS IS A  PURE CODED ,MEANS OF PAYMENT? RECORDS WHICH WE HAVE HAD WITH THIS METHOD OF PAYMENT IN THE PAST HAS ALWAYS BEEN RELATED TO TERRORIST ACTS, WE DO NOT WANT YOU TO GET INTO TROUBLE AS SOON AS THESE FUNDS REFLECT IN YOUR ACCOUNT IN THE U.S.A, SO IT IS  OUR DUTY AS A WORD WIDE COMMISSION TO CORRECT THIS LITTLE PROBLEM BEFORE THIS  FUND WILL BE CREDITED INTO YOUR PERSONAL ACCOUNT.
DUE TO THE INCREASED DIFFICULTY AND UNNECESSARY SCRUTINY BY THE AMERICAN AUTHORITIES WHEN FUNDS COME FROM OUTSIDE OF EUROPE, AND THE MIDDLE  EAST, THEF.B.I  BANK COMMISSION FOR EUROPE HAS STOPPED THE TRANSFER ON ITS WAY  TO DELIVER PAYMENT OF $10,500,000.00 TO DEBIT YOUR RESERVE ACCOUNT AND PAY YOU THROUGH A SECURED DIPLOMATIC TRANSIT ACCOUNT (S.D.T.A). WE GOVERN AND OVERSEES FUNDS TRANSFER FOR THE WORLD BANK AND THE REST OF THE WORLD.
WE  ADVICE YOU CONTACT US IMMEDIATELY,AS THE FUNDS HAVE BEEN  STOPPED AND ARE BEING HELD IN OUR CUSTODY ,UNTIL YOU CAN BE ABLE TO PROVIDE US WITH A DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY SEAL OF TRANSFER(DIST) WITHING 3 DAYS FROM THE  WORLD LOCAL BANK THAT AUTHORIZE THE TRANSFER FROM WHERE THE FUNDS WAS TRANSFERRED FROM TO CERTIFY THAT THE FUNDS THAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO RECEIVE FROM NIGERIA ARE ANTITERRORIST/DRUG FREE OR WE SHALL HAVE CAUSE TO CROSS AND IMPOUND THE PAYMENT,WE SHALL RELEASE THE FUNDS IMMEEDIATELY WE RECEIVE THIS LEGAL DOCUMENTS .
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We have decided to contact you directly to acquire the proper  verifications and proof from you to show that you are the rightful person to receive  this fund, because of the amount involve,we want to make sure is a clean and  legal money you are about to receive.  Be informed that the fund are now in  United State in your name , but right now we have ask  the bank not to release  the fund to anybody that comes to them , unless we ask them to do so,  because we have to carry out our investigations first before releasing the fund to  you.
Note that the fund is in the BANK OF AMERICA right now, but we have ask  them not to credit the fund to you yet, because we need a solid proof and verifications from you before releasing the funds.So to this regards you are to re-assure and proof to us that what  you are about to receive is a clean money by sending to us FBI Identification  Record and also Diplomatic Immunity Seal Of Transfer(DIST) to satisfy to us  that the money your about to receive is legitimate and real money. You are to  forward the documents to us immediately if you have it in your possession, if you don?t have it let us know so that we will direct and inform you where to  obtain the document and send to us so that we will ask the bank holding the funds   the Bank Of America to go ahead Crediting your account immediately.
This Documents are to be issued to you from the World Local Bank that Authorized the transfer, so get back to us immediately if you don?t have the document so that we will inform you the particular place to obtain the  document in United Kingdom U.K, because we have come to realize that the fund  was Authorized by H.S.B.C Bank in London.An FBI Identification Record and Diplomatic Immunity Seal Of Transfer(DIST)often referred to as a Criminal History Record or Rap Sheet, is a  listing of certain information taken from fingerprint submissions retained by the  FBI in connection with arrests and, in some instances, federal employment, naturalization, or military service.THESE CONDITION IS VALID UNTIL 15TH OF FEB 2010 AFTER WE SHALL TAKE ACTIONS ON  CANCELLING THE PAYMENT AND THEN CHARGE YOU FOR ILLEGALLY MOVING FUNDS OUT OF NIGERIA .
GURANTEE: FUNDS WILL BE RELEASED ON CONFIRMATION OF THE DOCUMENT.
  
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FINAL INSTRUCTION:
60F   CREDIT PAYMENT INSTRUCTION: IRREVOCABLE CREDIT GUARANTEE
61E   BENEFICIARY HAS FULL POWER WHEN VALIDATION IS CLEARED
62    BENNEFICIARIES BANK IN   U.S.A., CAN ONLY RELEASE FUNDS-
62    UPON CONFIRMATION FROM THE WORLD BANK/UNITED NATIONS.
64   BEARERS MUST CLEAR BANK PROTOCOL AND VALIDATION REQUEST
  
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NOTE: We have asked for the above documents to make available the most complete and up-to date records possible for the enhancement of public  safety,welfare and security of Society while recognizing the importance of  individual  privacy rights.. If you fail to provide the Documents to us, we will charge you with the FBI and take our proper action against you for not proofing to  us the  legitimate of the fund you are about to receive.
The United States Department of Justice Order 556-73 establishes rules  and regulations for the subject of an FBI Identification Record to obtain  a copy of his or her own Record for review. The FBI Criminal Justice Information Services(CJIS) Division processes these requests to check illegal activities in  U.S.A.
An individual may request a copy of his or her own FBI Identification Record for personal review or to challenge information on the Record. Other reasons an individual may request a copy of his or her own Identification Record  may include international adoption or to satisfy a requirement to live or work in a foreign country  or receive funds from  another country (i.e., Diplomatic Immunity Seal Of Transfer, letter of good conduct, criminal history background, etc.)
                         FBI Director
                        Robert S. Mueller, III

Anti-fraud resources: