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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• 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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "your payment is being processed" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "million united states dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
  • "executive governor" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "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.
• This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
  • barr_josephgregoire@myway.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Charles Ubah" <charlesubah88@msn.com>
Reply-To: drcharlesubah@walla.com
Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 09:02:47 +0000
Subject: CONFIRMABLE BANK DRAFT OF $15M.

OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR
CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA
TINUBU SQUARE,LAGOS-NIGERIA.

ATTN: BENEFICIARY,

FIRST QUARTER PAYMENT NOTIFICATION ADVICE OF THE YEAR.IN OUR RESPONSE TO INSTRUCTION FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA TO RELEASE AND PAY ALL FOREIGN CONTRACT FUNDS TO THEIR BENEFICIARIES, BY THE ORDER OF THE PRESIDENCY IN FINANCIAL MATTERS, GOVERNOR OF CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA ON THIS DAY ISSUED THE RELEASE OF YOUR FIFFTHEEN MILLION UNITED STATE DOLLARS (USD15, 000,000.00) CONTRACT PAYMENT BY CLASSIFIED BANK DRAFT.

THIS IS BECAUSE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA HAS DIRECTED THAT ALL FOREIGN PAYMENTS AT THIS TIME THAT INVOLVED HUGE SUMS OF MONEY LIKE THIS SHOULD BE PAID BY CLASSIFED BANK DRAFT AS MEASURE TO CHECK TERRORIST ACCOUNT OPERATION AND TO BE ABLE TO MONITOR EVERY PAYMENT. IN LINE WITH THIS DEVELOPMENT, I HAVE THEREFORE SIGNED YOUR PAYMENT DRAFT. A DRAFT PAYMENT COVERING YOUR (USD15, 000,000.00) CONTRACT SUM HAS BEEN RAISED IN YOUR FAVOUR TO BE DRAWN FROM CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA OFF SHORE ACCOUNT IN AMERICA AND EUROPE.

I ALSO WISH TO INFORM YOU THAT YOUR PAYMENT IS BEING PROCESSED AND WILL BE RELEASED TO YOU THROUGH THE FOREIGN REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT OF THIS APEX BANK AS SOON AS YOU RESPOND TO THIS LETTER. ALSO NOTE THAT FROM MY RECORD IN MY FILE YOUR OUTSTANDING CONTRACT PAYMENT IS US $15 MILLION DOLLARS (FIFFTHEEN MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS).

PLEASE RE-CONFIRM TO US THE FOLLOWINGS:

1) YOUR FULL NAME.

2) PHONE, FAX AND MOBILE #.

3) COMPANY NAME, POSITION AND ADDRESS.

4) BANK DETAILS

5) PROFESSION, AGE AND MARITAL STATUS.

6) COPY OF YOUR INT'L PASSPORT/DRIVING LICENSE

AS A MATTER OF URGENCY, YOU ARE HEREBY ADVISED TO CONTACT BARRISTER JOSEPH GREGOIRE, SECRETARY FOREIGN AFFAIRS/ INFORMATION DEPARTMENT FOR THE MAILING OF YOUR DRATF. CONTACT ON EMAIL:barr_josephgregoire@myway.com  BECAUSE OF THE INTERENT COMMUNICATION PROBLEM IN NIGERIA AND FORWARD YOUR ADDRESS WHERE YOU WOULD LIKE THE DRAFT TO BE SENT TO. AND YOUR TELLEPHONE NUMBERS, ALSO YOU CAN AS WELL ARRANGE FOR A PHYSICAL COLLECTION OF YOUR DRAFT FROM THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA HERE. BE WARNED, YOU SHOULD AVOID AND PREVENT ANY THING THAT CAN CAUSE UNNECESSARY DELAY, AS THIS MAY BE THE LAST OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO RECEIVE YOUR PAYMENT, HENCE ALL YOUR PAST EFFORTS AND CONTACTS HAVE FAILED YOU.

YOURS FAITHFULLY,

DR.CHARLES UBAH
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,
CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA.

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam