419 Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam (2006-01)

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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:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "united state of america" (this email uses bad English)
- "economic and financial crimes commission" (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. )
- "(efcc)" (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. )
- "charles soludo" (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)
- "abuja" (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 mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- +2347032739398
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.
- donnamblair111@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: erferfgergrgr fvreferff3f3f4 <fvevevvrbtttyytydsv@msn.com>
Reply-To: <donnamblair111@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 6 Jun 2009 11:05:43 +0000
Subject: FROM THE OFFICE OF THE CONSULAR GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATE EMBASSY
IN NIGERIA.

OFFICE OF THE CONSULAR GENERAL UNITED STATE OF AMERICAN EMBASSY IN ABUJA, NIGERIA.
Embassy of United States of America in Nigeria
7, Mambilla Street
Off Aso Drive Maitama District,
Phone;+23470-327-393-98
Abuja Nigeria.

ATTEN;

Greeting to you and your family, I am Mrs. Donna M. Blair the Consular general of us embassy in Nigeria .Do get back to this email I am sending to you in regards to the money you have lost, based on ongoing scam activities in Africa especially Nigeria , the US , UN, EU and AU has agreed with the federal government of Nigeria to combat this recent increase in fraud by the dubious citizens of the third world nations.

We have carried out Investigation to many Office departments in Nigeria , Ghana , Togo and other African countries in the World even office of the President Federal Republic of Nigeria, Office of the Honorable Minister of Finance, office of the Committee, Office of the Senators etc and we found out how our citizen has been duped. We reached an agreement with the bodies responsible of combating crime to help us resolves this meanance.

Also, Regarding to the different emails which you are receiving from people claiming to be Prof. Charles Soludo, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), or inform of fake checks, money order. Sir/Madam, we want you to stop any further communication with them. We are working very hard, with ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIMES COMMISSION (EFCC) in conjunction with FBI and with the NIGERIAN DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY (NDLEA) to make sure we arrest all those criminals.

This is to inform you about our plan of many Office departments in Central bank, even office of the President Federal Republic of Nigeria, Office of the Honorable Minister of Finance, office of the Law markers, Office of the Senators to make sure that funds that amount $14. 700, 00, 00 million U.S dollars must gets to you as a Compensation through woman and man of God for security reasons and to avoid anything that will stop your funds from getting to you since this is a kind of compensation given to you because of all the funds you lost while transacting with the fraudsters. Here is my private email address as follows: (donnamblair111@gmail.com)

YOU’RE URGENT RESPONSE WITH THE INFORMATIONS AS STATED BELOW IS HIGHLY NEEDED.

Full name:
Address:
Phone number:
Occupation:
Age:

Am looking forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely congratulations

Mrs. Donna M. Blair
Consular, United States Of America Embassy in Nigeria.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam