419 scam: "MR. JIM OVIA"<zenithbankplc033@yahoo.com> ATTN: Dear Beneficiary

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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:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
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:
- "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
- "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)
- "economic and financial crime commission" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- +2347032237487 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)
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.
- jim.ovia.zenithbank033@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "MR. JIM OVIA" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <jim.ovia.zenithbank033@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 24 Sep 2002 03:58:47 -0700
Subject: ATTN: Dear Beneficiary

ATTN: Dear Sir/Madam,

How are you today? Hope all is well with you and your family? you may not understand why this mail came to you. In regards to the recent meeting between the United Nations and the Present United States Government (BARACK OBAMA) to restore the dignity and Economy of the Nations. Base on the Agreement with the World Bank Assistance to help and make the world a better place for all with the sole aim of abolishing poverty. We have been having a meeting for the past 7 months which ended 2 days ago with the secretary to the UNITED NATIONS (UN).

This email is to all the people that have been scammed in any part of the world, the UNITED NATIONS have agreed to compensate them with the sum of US$5,700.000.00 (Five Million Seven Hundred Thousand United States Dollars). This includes every foriegn contractors that may have not received their contract sum and people that have had an unfinished transaction or international businesses that failed due to Government problems etc. Your name and email was in the list submitted by our Monitoring Team of Economic and Financial Crime Commission Observers and this is why we are contacting you, this have been agreed upon and have been
signed.

You are advised to contact MR. JIM OVIA of ZENITH BANK NIGERIA PLC,as he is our representative in Nigeria, contact him immediately for your Cheque/ International Bank Draft of US$ 5,700.000.00 (Five Million Seven Hundred Thousand United States Dollars). This funds are in a Bank Draft for security purpose ok? so he will send it to you and you can clear it in any bank of your choice. This meeting was first held on the 8th of April 2003. You can view this page for your perusal: http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2003/ik344.doc.htm

Therefore, you should send him the following informaion as written bellow

1). Your Full Name
2). Your Private Telephone number
3). Your House/Mailing Address where you want him to send the Draft to you.
Contact him immediately for your Cheque/Draft:

MR. JIM OVIA
(ZENITH BANK PLC).
EMAIL: (jim.ovia.zenithbank033@gmail.com)
TEL: +2347032237487

MR. BAN KI-MOON
Secretary UNITED NATIONS(UN).
http://www.un.org/sg/

Making the world a better place:
http://www.biblepicturegallery.com/Pictures/Symbols/United%20Nations%20logo%20ca.htm
Goodluck and God Bless.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam