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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: "Overseas Courier Service" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <cos39@9.cn>
Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2011 15:13:50 -0800
Subject: CONTACT OVERSEAS COURIER SERVICE (SPAIN) SDN BHD

CONTACT OVERSEAS COURIER SERVICE (SPAIN) SDN BHD
Gijón Sales & Operation Office:
Calle de Teodoro Cuesta, 12
33207 Gijón, Spain.
E-MAIL:COS39@9.cn
 
RE:INSTRUCTION TO DELIVER YOUR CONSIGNMENT TRUNK BOX IN OUR VAULT
 
After due vetting and evaluation of your file that was sent to us by the African Development Bank(ADB). Under the direct authorization of the African Union in Conjunction with the United Nations, we wish to notify you that your contract/inheritance Fund will be paid to you via Diplomatic Delivery to your home address as all means to receive your Fund through Banks had failed.
 
This Company has an instruction to see to the immediate release of the sum of Fifteen Million Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars (US$15.5M) of your claim that has been pending in a trunk box in our security vault.We were meant to understand from our findings that you have been going through hard times and passing through a lot of difficulties in seeing to the release of your fund which amounts to (Fifteen Million Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars (US$15.5M). This has been the handwork of some dubious elements in African Development Bank (ADB).
 
We advice that you stop further communication with any correspondence from anywhere concerning this fund, you don't have to pass through any difficulties to receive your fund, as you have meet up with the whole requirements. This was the reason this fund was kept in our security vault for easy delivery and conclusion of this transaction. The management of this transaction do not want you to pass through wire transfer, which you have gone through off and on and this fund was not paid to you, but for you to come down and see your fund with your two eyes.
 
Do get back to us with the following required information’s.
 
(1) YOUR FULL NAME ..........................................
(2) YOUR RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS.............................
(3) YOUR POSTAL ADDRESS.......................................
(4) YOUR PHONE AND FAX NUMBER.............................
(5) YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS...........................................
(6) YOUR OCCUPATION..................................................
(7) YOUR OFFICIAL AGE.................................................
(8) YOUR PHOTOGRAPH ..............................................
(9) YOUR COUNTRY........................................................
 
Direct Cell Phone Number for easy communication Note that if no seriousness is seen from you, we have no choice but to send this fund back to our treasury as an unclaimed fund by you.
 
Do see that you forward your above information to this email:COS39@9.cn
 
We anticipate your urgent respond.
 
 
Regards,
Mr. Ricardo Martins,
Dispatch Officer.

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