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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: "FROM: DOUGLAS SHULMAN" <office----data598@att.net>
Reply-To: uscustomsandborder11@globomail.com
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2011 09:46:41 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: =?utf-8?B?QSBHIENPTU1JU1NJT05FUiBPRiBVLlMuIENVU1RPTVMgQU5EIEJPUkRFUiBQ?=
=?utf-8?B?Uk9URUNUSU9OIChDQlAp4oCPIA==?=


ATTENTION--ATTENTION--ATTENTION,  
FROM: DOUGLAS SHULMAN

THIS IS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE RECEIPT OF YOUR AFFIRMATION AND TO INFORM
YOU OF  THE LATEST DEVELOPMENT AS REGARDS THE DELIVERY OF YOUR CONSIGNMENT
PACKAGE BY THE DIPLOMAT HILARY KALU.
 
WHILE SCANNING THE PACKAGE,OUR
CASHTRAC MACHINE DETECTED THAT THE CONTENT OF THE PACKAGE THE DIPLOMAT IS
DELIVERING TO YOU IS CASH WORTH THE SUM OF USD $2.800,000.
 
IT IS A CRIME
TO BRING IN MONEY (OVER US$10,000) INTO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WITHOUT
PROPER DOCUMENTATIONS AND CLEARANCE BECAUSE IT SHOWS THAT THE MONEY IS EITHER
BEING SMUGGLED INTO THE COUNTRY OR THE SOURCE OF THE FUNDS IS
QUESTIONABLE.
 
IT IS VERY
IMPORTANT THAT ALL THE RELEVANT DOCUMENTATIONS NEEDED TO AUTHENTICATE THE SOURCE
OF THE FUNDS ARE PROVIDED TO PROVE THAT THE FUNDS WERE EARNED LEGITIMATELY IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE PATRIOT ACT SO THAT THE FBI,IRS AND HOMELAND
SECURITY WILL NOT COME KNOCKING AT YOUR DOOR.
 
IN LIEU OF THE
ABOVE,IT IS THEREFORE MANDATORY THAT YOU PROVIDE THE ORIGIN OF FUNDS CERTIFICATE
(O.O.F)  TO PROVE THAT THE FUNDS HAVE NO LINKS WITH ANY FORM OF
ILLEGALITY.
 
BEING THE BENEFICIARY OF THE PACKAGE,THE ORIGIN OF FUNDS
CERTIFICATE(O.O.F) IS THE ONLY WAY OF CONFIRMING THE SOURCE OF THE FUNDS AND IT
IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE THE CERTIFICATE BEFORE THE DIPLOMAT WILL BE
ALLOWED TO COMPLETE THE DELIVERY TO YOU TOMORROW.
 
THE DIPLOMAT'S FLIGHT
DETAILS SHOWS THAT HE CAME FROM BENIN REPUBLIC AND WE HAVE CONTACTED THE
RELEVANT AUTHORITIES IN THAT COUNTRY TO ENQUIRE ABOUT THE PROCESS OF GETTING THE
CERTIFICATE.

WE WERE INFORMED
THAT THE BENEFICIARY OF THE PACKAGE WILL PAY FOR THE CERTIFICATE AND THE COST OF
THIS DOCUMENTAION  $98 DOLLARS, YOU HAVE TO PAY THIS FEE DIRECTLY TO THEM VIA
WESTERN
UNION MONEY TRANSFER OR MONEY GRAM IN THE NAME STATED
BELOW:
 
RECEIVER NAME:MR.
MICHAEL E. UDEALOR
ADDRESS: BENIN
REPUBLIC
CITY;            
COTONOU
AMOUNT : $98

QUESTION & ANSWER, WHAT FOR, MY
BELONGING
AFTER PAYING THE
FEE,SEND THE FOLLOWING PAYMENT INFORMATION
1. SENDER'S NAME AND ADDRESS
2.
MTCN
NUMBER
3. TEXT QUESTION
& ANSWER


UPON THE RECEIPT OF THE
PAYMENT INFORMATION,THE CERTIFICATE WILL BE MADE OUT IN YOUR NAME BY THE COTONOU
REPUBLIQUE DU BENIN AUTHORITY, SCANNED AND SEND IMMEDIATELY VIA EMAIL TO US SO
THAT THE DIPLOMAT WILL BE ALLOWED TO COMPLETE THE DELIVERY OF YOUR PACKAGE TO
YOU TOMORROW.

FAILURE TO PAY FOR THIS
DOCUMENTATION IS A CONFIRMATION THAT YOU WANTED TO SMUGGLE THE FUNDS INTO THE
COUNTRY WHICH IS A FEDERAL OFFENCE AND A GROSS VIOLATION OF THE PATRIOT
ACT. 
 

 IT IS THEREFORE IN YOUR BEST
INTEREST THAT YOU PAY FOR THE CERTIFICATE AS INSTRUCTED IMMEDIATELY AS THE
CONSEQUENCES OF REFUSING IS VERY SEVERE.

YOURS
FAITHFULLY,
MR.DOUGLAS SHULMAN

A G COMMISSIONER OF U.S. CUSTOMS AND
BORDER PROTECTION (CBP)‏ 

Anti-fraud resources: