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:

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:
- "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)
- "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 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.
- lana_johnson000@yahoo.com (Yahoo; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: "Miss Lana johnson" <presidentadb@sify.com>
Reply-To: lana_johnson000@yahoo.com
Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2010 17:20:56 -0000 (GMT)
Subject: SCAMMED VICTIM/521 BENEFICIARIES REF/PAYMENTS CODE: 06654 $900,
000.00 USD ONLY.

SCAMMED VICTIM/521 BENEFICIARIES REF/PAYMENTS CODE: 06654 $900,000.00 USD
ONLY.

This is to bring to your notice that I am a delegate from the United
Nations to The IMF (International Monetary Fund) West Africa Regional
Payment Office to pay 521 scam victims $900,000 USD (Nine Hundred Thousand
Dollars only) each. You are listed and approved for this payment as one of
the scammed victims to be paid this amount,
get back to me as soon as possible for the immediate payments of your
$900,000.00 USD compensations funds.On this faithful recommendations, I
want you to know
that during the last U.N. meetings held at Abuja, Federal Republic of
Nigeria, it was alarmed so much by the world in the meetings on the lost
of funds by
various individual to scam artist operating in syndicates all over the
world today.

In other to compensate these victims, the U.N Body is now paying 521
victims ofthis operators $900,000USD each in accordance with the
U.N.recommendations.

Due to the corrupt and in-efficient Banking Systems in Federal Republic of
Nigeria, the payments are to be paid by UN officials sitting at IMF
(International
Monetary Fund) West Africa Regional Payment Office as corresponding
payment centre under funding assistance by United Nation body.

According to the number of applicants at hand, 284 Beneficiaries has been
paid, half of the victims are from the United States, and we still have
more 237
left to be paid the compensations of $900,000 USD each.Your particulars
was mentioned by one of the Syndicates who was arrested as one of their
victims of the operations,you are hereby warned not to communicate or
duplicate this message to him for any reason what so ever as the U.S.
Secret service is already on trace of the other criminals.So keep it
secret till they are all apprehended. Other victims who have not been
Contacted can submit their application as well for scrutiny and possible
consideration. You can receive your compensations payments via.

1. ATM CARD
2. CHECK PAYMENT
3. ONLINE BANK TRANSFER

Indicate your option and send your full Name and telephone number/your
correct mailing address where you want us to send
the compensation to.

To UN Representative: Miss Lana johnson
Email: lana_johnson000@yahoo.com

I shall feed you with further modalities as soon as I hear from you.

Yours faithfully,
Miss Lana johnson
United Nation Representative.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam