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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:

• 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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "money laundering" ("anti-terrorist", "anti-money laundering" or "drug-free" certificates are a common way for criminals in fake lottery scams and other Advance Fee scams to get you to send money to them. There are no such certificates in the real banking world. )
  • "swift card payment center" (this phrase is often used in the ATM card payment scam)
  • "card center will send you an atm card" (this phrase is often used in the ATM card payment scam)
  • ",000,000" (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)
  • "nuhu ribadu" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
  • "central bank of nigeria" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • atmpayment_100@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Ben Smith <uratm5@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <atmpayment_100@yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 7 Oct 2007 11:22:09 -0600
Subject: YOUR ATM CARD PAYMENT










UNION BANK PLC

UNION BANK PLC



UNION BANK PLC. RC: 243879
INTERNATIONAL REMITTANCE & FOREIGN OPERATIONS UNIONP.M.B. 12040, LAGOS
Swift Address: UBBINGLAXXX TEL : +23407027705240
from the desk of : Mr. Richard Edwards... PMG U.B.B PLC.
Our Ref: …GTB/5232……… Your Ref:………Date: 4nd of Oct., 2007

OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS INTERNATIONAL CREDIT SETTLEMENT,ATM PAYMENT DEPARTMENT (UNION BANK OF NIGERIA PLC)UNION BANK OF NIGERIA .DATE: 4ND/10/2007
VERY URGENT ATTENTION!!!

This is to officially notify you that we the international credit settlement branch of Union Bank of Nigeria has verified your contract/inheritance file and found out that the reasons why you have not received your part payment of $16 million is because you have not fulfilled the obligations given to you in respect of your contract/inheritance payment. Secondly we have been informed that for you not to deal with the non officials in the bank and your entire attempt to secure the release of your fund to you will be in vain. So we wish to advise you that such illegal acts like these have to stop if you wish to receive your payment since we have decided to bring a solution to your problem. Right now we have arranged your payment. Through our swift card payment center Asia pacific that is the latest instruction from MR. PRESIDENT. ALAHJI UMARU MUSA YAR'ADUA (GCFR) FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA . AND EFCC CHAIRMAN MALLAM NUHU RIBADU, which will not involve any fraudulent act or money laundering and because the CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA is running for the yearly payment that’s why the order is given,As well as the INTERPOL and FBI in conjunction with HOMELAND SECURITY so you have absolutely nothing to be afraid of and due the previous scam and fraud act from impostors in our country we have mapped out that this card is sent to your personal address. This card center will send you an ATM CARD which you will use to withdraw your money in any ATM MACHINE in any part of the world, but the maximum is twenty thousand dollars per day, so if you like to receive your fund this way please let us know by contacting the card payment center officer Dr Ben Smith on hispersonal mail Email address: atmpayment_100@yahoo.com
Telephone/fax line: +234-7027950397
And also send the following information: 1. Your full name
2. Phone and fax number
3. Addresses were you want them to send the atm card 4. Your age and current occupation
5. Attach copy of your identification The ATM CARD PAYMENT CENTER has been mandated to issue out $6,000,000.00 as part payment for this fiscal year 2006/2007 payment year. Also for your information, you have to stop any further communication with any other person(s) or office(s) to avoid any hitches in receiving your Payment. For oral discussion, call and email me back as soon as you receive this important message for further direction and also update me on any development from the above-mentioned office. Note that because of impostors, we hereby issued you our code of conduct, which is (ATM-822) so you have to indicate this code when contacting the card center by using it as your subject. Regards, Dr. Ben SmithDirector Atm Payment Department (CBN)
_________________________________________________________________
Peek-a-boo FREE Tricks & Treats for You!
http://www.reallivemoms.com?ocid=TXT_TAGHM&loc=us

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam