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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:

Fraud email example:

From: "Compensation Finance House" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <westernuniondept111@googlemail.com>
Date: Mon, 22 Nov 2010 22:25:33 +0800
Subject: YOUR $5000 IS AVAILABLE FOR PICK UP

Final Release Of your payment
Compensation Finance House,
4989 gibson tower.
Abuja Nigeria.
Tel: 009-234-805-055-4499



Att: ,


Firstly, I must start by apologizing for the delay in response to you and for not contacting you since the beginning of the new year.
This email is coming to you in regards to your fund that you have been unable to claim due to your lack of co-operation in the past. This organization has decided to make it know to you that the funds in your ATM been cleared into an escrew account and that you will be receiving your fund through the fastest means of money transfer in the world.

Since you have not been able to claim you fund that has been with us for a very long time, we have to call back your ATM CARD and make arrangement alternatively to transfer your fund installmentally through Western Union Money Transfer here today which has been programmed to be transferred under installment at rate of $5,000 daily as Western Union laws here does not allow transferring funds above $5,000 at once from this country to another, but we will be sending under installment of $5,000 daily till the amount of $2.5 Million usd is completely Paid to you as the beneficiary of the ATM CARD in question.

In other words, We have today transferred your first installment payment ($5,000) available for your pickup at any western union office nearest to you, but still on hold due to the unpaid endorsement & daily activation file fee amount of $175.00 that you are supposed to pay before your daily transfer will be made available to you. You will pickup the bellow installment at any western union office nearest to you with bellow information's as soon as you submit the $175 endorsement & daily activation file fee. You can track your first installment payment with the Western Union tracking number 1-800-325-6000 or through the western union global website so as for you to know that the money is available for pick up (but will not be released you without the file activation fee of $175).

Your Payment Details

Here Is The Senders Information
Senders First Name:MAXWELL
Senders Second Name:ORTEGA
MTCN:7522277065
TextQuestion----YES
Answer----------YES
Website:www.westernunion.com

Email:westernuniondept111@googlemail.com

The endorsement & daily activation file fee of $175 should be sent to our office here in care to our accounting officer through Western Union Money Transfer nearest to you or Money Gram.
You are to send the endorsement activation charges with the information below.
Receivers Name: Collins Victor
Address: 4989 gibson tower. Abuja, Nigeria
City & Country: Lagos,Nigeria
Amount: $175
Text Question: Have Faith
Answer: In God.

As soon as you send the fee, send us the transfer Mtcn/Refference # to help us proceed with immediate transfer activation of your first installment payment.
Notice: This preference is being given to you to our good name and also to make sure we get your fund paid to you with no complication of things or delay.
Note: the Activation Fees could not be deducted from the fund in the ATM CARD as we have no access to the fund due to the Fact that it was placed in an escrew account
Please submit your Activation charges with the name of our accounting officer as given to you and get back to this office with details of your payment for further actions here.
To avoid complication of things, you are advise to treat this payment as urgent as possible so we can proceed with the activation of your first instalment so you can get it picked up in any nearest Western Union Money Transfer outlet near you on time to avoid any internet scam hacking of the Mtcn that is given to you above.

Treat As Urgent and get back to this office with receipt of your payment for fast procedures here.

Thanking you for your Anticipated Co-operations.

Respectfully Yours.
Mr. Mike Williams
Compensation and Finance Head office.

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