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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:
  • "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)
  • "to your nominated bank account" (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)
  • ",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)
  • "my direct line" (a "direct line" in a scam usually means an untraceable mobile phone number used by a scammer in an internet cafe, a redirection service number that forwards to a mobile or a free voicemailbox in a different country.)
  • "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.
  • mr.ernestebi002@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Ernest Ebi" <alert.ernest05@ldsliving.com>
Reply-To: mr.ernestebi002@gmail.com
Date: Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:49:20 +0100
Subject: ATTN: HONOURABLE BENEFICIARY (CLAIM YOUR FUNDS IMMEDIATELY)


CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA
OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY GOVERNOR
CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA
TINUBU SQUARE, LAGOS- NIGERIA.
Our Ref: CBN/OHG/OXD1/2008
Your Ref:..............................
TELEX: CENBANK.
PAYMENT FILE: CBN/BEN/08.


Attn: Honorable Beneficiary,


From the records of outstanding foreign payments due for release with local
and commercial banks in Nigeria, your name and contact was discovered as
next on the list of the
outstanding foreigners' payment which are still hanging on and who have not
yet received their payments.

Following the out come of board of director's meeting today with other
commercial banks here in Nigeria, we wish to inform you that your name fall
among the top twenty
contractor/beneficiary that will be receiving their payment this 2nd quarter
of the year 2008.

Note that your payment is being processed and will be released to you as
soon as you reconfirm your payment details so that we can authenticate the
claim legally since our
record shows that the Federal Government of Nigeria has only mapped out the
sum of US$25,000,000 (Twenty Million thousand united states Dollars) to be
released to you as you
re-confirm your information for verification/authenticating and final
endorsement of your file, so as to enable this noble bank proceed immediate
release of your fund without further delays.

Kindly re-confirm to us the followings:

1) Your full name:
2) Postal/ Mailing address:
3) Phone, fax and mobile #.
4) Age.
5) Occupation.
6) International Passport or Driver's License (Scan Copy)
7) Bank data's where fund will be remitted too.

In receipt of the above information your payment will be approved and paid
to you by wired transfer to your nominated bank account of your choice.
Hence, you are advised to get back to me immediately for more clarifications
via my email address
(mr.ernestebi002@gmail.com<http://uk.mc282.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=mr.ernestebi002@gmail.com>)
or reach me on my direct line +234-1-6643892.

OFFICIALLY SIGNED:
MR. ERNEST C. EBI. (DEPUTY GOVERNOR)
INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS
CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam