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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
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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.

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "power of attorney" (with your bank details and a power of attorney form criminals sometimes empty bank accounts)
  • "central bank of nigeria" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.

Fraud email example:

From: "tunde lemo" <tundelemocbn1@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: tunde_lm2000@yahoo.com
Date: Thu, 06 Oct 2005 12:24:36 +0000
Subject: LETTER OF ENQUIRY ON CONTRACT PAYMENT

FROM: CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (CBN)
DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL
REMMITANCY/ TELEX DEPARTMENT.


DEAR SIR/MADAM

RE: LETTER OF ENQUIRY ON CONTRACT PAYMENT.

COMPLIMENT OF THE SEASONS
WE WRITE TO ENQUIRE FROM YOU IF YOU HAVE SENT SOMEBODY FROM LEBANON MR AUDU
MOHAMMED AND SOME NIGERIA REPRESENTATIVE TO THE

CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (CBN) TO MAKE CLAIM ON YOUR BEHALF.

LAST WEEK FRIDAY AT ABOUT 10.00 AM NIGERIA TIME, MR AUDU MOHAMMED AND YOUR
NIGERIAN REPRESENTATIVE WALKED INTO THE BANK

SAYING THAT YOU HAVE SENT THEM TO CHANGE YOUR BANK ACCOUNT AND PUT CLAIM ON
YOUR BEHALF OF YOUR CONTRACT SUM. I INITIALLY

INSTRUCTED FOR THE RELEASE OF THE FUND TO THEM AS
A MATTER OF FACT WHEN THEIR FILE WAS CHECKED ALL THE OBLIGATORY DOCUMENTS
WAS INTACT, BUT ON CROSS CHECKING OF YOUR OWN FILE

WITH US WE FOUND SOME MANIPULATION IN THEIR FILE IT WAS THEN DISCOVERED THAT
THE BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER PRESENTED WAS DIFFERENT

FROM YOURS AND THE BENEFICARY OF
THE ACCOUNT THE BROUGHT IS CHANGORI AND CHANGORI WHICH MADE US TO SUSPECT
THEM.

INVIEW OF THIS, YOU NEED TO RECONFIRM INFORMATION BELOW TO ASCERTAIN IF THE
CONTRACT INFORMATIONS ARE CORRECT OR NOT, ALSO

RECONFIRM YOUR BANKING INFORMATION TO US TO AVOID MISTAKE IN TRANSFER.

1) CONTRACT NUMBER: NNPC/KADREF/00453/PED-1998
2) CONTRACT AMOUNT: $28.4M

AS SOON AS YOU RECONFIRM ABOVE INFORMATION TO US, WE WILL NOT HESITATE TO
TRANSFER YOUR CONTRACT SUM INTO YOUR NOMINATED BANK

ACCOUNT AS WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN A MANDATE BY THE PRESIDENCY TO RELEASE ALL
CONTRACTORS FUND UNDER 72HOURS PENDING THE TIME

HE/SHE COMPLIES TO THIS NOTICE.

ACCORDING TO OUR ATTORNEY, YOUR REPRESENTATIVES ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD A
POWER OF ATTORNEY FROM YOU, INFORMING THE CENTRAL

BANK OF NIGERIA (CBN) OF THE CHANGE IN ACCOUNT NUMBER UNTIL THIS MOMENT WE
NEVER SEE THEM, COULD YOU PLEASE TELL THIS BANK IF

YOU WERE THE PERSON SENT THIS TWO GENTLE MAN FOR THIS MISSION.

WE HAVE DEEMED IT NECESSARY TO CONTACT YOU AND ASCERTAIN THE TRUE POSITION
IN OTHER TO AVOID REMITTING THESE FUNDS INTO A

WRONG ACCOUNT. COULD YOU PLEASE CONTACT THE UNDERSIGNED THROUGH THE EMAIL,,
TO CONFIRM THIS MATTERS BEFORE WE START TAKING

LEGAL ACTION, BUT IF THEY ARE FROM YOU, KINDLY GIVE THEM THE POWER OF
ATTORNEY FOR THE PAYMENT OF THE CONTRACT FUNDS INTO

THE BANCO BILBAO VIZCAYA (BBV) URB.
JARDINES DEL PUERTO-LOCAL 8,E-29600
PUERTO JOSE BANUS, MARBELLA - SPAIN

PLEASE NOTE, BY THE AUTHORITIES OF THE PRESIDENCY IN LINE WITH THE ENABLING
DECREE OF 512? A, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE

RELEVANT BODIES; THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (CBN), THE NATIONAL ECONOMIC
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE (NEIC) AND THE FEDERAL

MINISTRY OF FINANCE (FMF), WE HAVE RESOLVED THAT
ALL OVERDUE CONTRACT PAYMENTS BE RELEASED THIS QUARTER IN ABSOLUTE
COMPLIANCE TO THE I.M.F AND WORLD BANK MANDATORY

CONDITIONS OF SERVICE TO OUR FOREIGN CAPITAL DEBTS.

BASED ON THIS, THIS OFFICE HAS BEEN MANDATED BY THE PRESIDENCY TO HANDLE ALL
PAYMENTS DUE TO FOREIGN CONTRACTORS. YOU SHOULD

THEREFORE DISREGARD ANY CORRESPONDENCE THAT YOU MAY HAVE OR MAY COME TO YOU
FROM ANY OTHER DEPARTMENT.

PLEASE ASSIST US TO EXPEDITE ACTION AND REACH ME IMMEDIATELY AS YOU RECEIVE
THIS MAIL NOW. I AM IN THE OFFICE WAITING FOR

YOUR RESPONSE

ANTICIPATING YOUR PROMPT RESPONSE AND CO-OPERATION.

YOURS FAITHFULLY,

MR.TUNDE LEMO.
FOR: CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (CBN).
DIRECTOR FOR TELEX DEPT

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam