419 scam: "FOREIGN PAYMENT DEPT"<ukfppo@yahoo.com.hk> CONFIRM YOUR PAYMENT

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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:

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:
- "inheritance funds" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "hundred thousand 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)
- "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)
This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "FOREIGN PAYMENT DEPT" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mrkoffiadamsoffice1@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Sun, 31 Jan 2010 13:25:49 +0100
Subject: CONFIRM YOUR PAYMENT

MR. KOFFI ADAMS
Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation
Finance and Foreign Payment Dept.
350 Euston Road, London NW1 3JJ
United Kingdom.

We have been instructed to issue clearance on transfer of $14,900,000.00 (Fourteen Million Nine Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) only to your account as payment of lottery/inheritance funds. A woman by name Mrs. Linda Simpson who claim to be your partner and Next of Kin has forwarded an account where the funds should be transferred to.

She said that you directed her to receive the funds on your behalf and we are contacting you to confirm this before we proceed with the processing of Payment Documents. If you actually sent Mrs. Linda Simpson of Atlanta Georgia USA to receive the funds on your behalf, please let us know in a return mail but if you did not, immediately complete the spaces below to enable us process and release your funds within the next 48 hours through our Paying Bank

We have your funds insured and bonded, ready to be transferred to your account upon confirmation. We need your assistance to get this completed immediately. To avoid mistakes and wrongful payment, we require you to forward immediately the following:

Full names………………………………………..

Full Address………………………………………

Direct telephone and fax numbers………………..

Occupation……………………………………….

This will be used to process the payment documents from the relevant offices for transfer to be effected to your account within 48 hours.

Bank details where funds will be transferred to will be requested from you once we have all the clearance from the UK concerned offices to effect transfer to your account.

Do help us serve you better by confirming the above information immediately.

Yours faithfully,
Mr. Koffi Adams
Finance and Foreign Payment Dept.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam