419 scam: Your Payment Update

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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:
- ",500,000" (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)
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "swiftcardpayment@sify.com" (this email address looks like addresses used in "ATM SWIFT card" 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.
- +447024017962 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
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.
- swiftcardpayment@sify.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From:
Reply-To: <swiftcardpayment@sify.com>
Date:
Subject: Your Payment Update

Attention Beneficiary,

We hereby confirm the receipt of part payment of US$9,500,000.00 dollars only, into our ESCROW vault / account with the CITI BANK in London by order of the Foreign Debt Recovery Committee on Overdue Contract / Lotto Award / Inheritance payments in Africa / Overseas via the African Development Bank (ADB), as indicated in our database.

We sincerely apologize for the delays and advice you to STOP any further communication with any other payment centre in any part of overseas countries, as well as your associates in any of the African countries e.g., South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Abidjan, Angola, Cotonou for they contributed 100% hindrances to the release of your funds.

Kindly provide us with the below information to reconfirm your details in our database and for our prompt payment procedures.

(1) YOUR FULL NAME:
(2) ADDRESS, CITY, STATE AND COUNTRY:
(3) PHONE, FAX AND MOBILE:
(4) COMPANY NAME (IF ANY) POSITION AND ADDRESS :
(5) BANK DETAILS:
(6) PROFESSION, AGE AND MARITAL STATUS:
(7) COPY OF YOUR INT'L PASSPORT/DRIVERS LICENSE:

Our final fund release order will be forwarded to our operational paying bank, the CITI BANK in London, UK for the immediate release of your allocation to you upon receipt and official re-confirmation of the above Information.

For any further inquiry, please contact the undersigned officer as funds will be retrieved to treasury after ten (10) business days of this notice.

Once again, you are strictly warned against your further communication with your unscrupulous associates.

Yours In Service,

Mr.John Shaull
Foreign operations Dept.
FG Finance London, UK
Tel: +447 02 401 7962
Email:swiftcardpayment@sify.com

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam