419 scam: "EFCC"<info@efcc.org> COMPENSATION

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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:
- "western union" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "money gram" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "economic and financial crimes 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. )
- "(efcc)" (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. )
- "farida mzamber waziri" (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. )
- "lagos" (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.
Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
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.
- wuemslocation@aol.com (AOL; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: "EFCC" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <western-union-nig1@hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 2 Jul 2011 18:30:02 -0700
Subject: COMPENSATION

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
15A Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Nigeria
http://www.efccnigeria.org

Attention Victim,
The Federal Government of Nigeria through provisions in Section 419 of the Criminal Code

came up with punitive measures to deter and punish offenders.The Advance Fee Fraud section

deal mainly with cases of advance fee fraud(commonly called 419) such as obtaining by false

pretence through different fraudulent schemes e.g. contract scam, credit card scam,

inheritance scam, job scam, lottery scam, “wash wash” scam (money washing scam), marriage

scam. Immigration scam, counterfeiting and religious scam. It also investigates cyber crime

cases.

After proper investigations and research at Western Union Money Transfer and Money Gram

office to know if you have truly sent money to fraudsters in Nigeria through Western Union

Money Transfer or Money Gram, your name was found in Western Union Money Transfer database

amongst those that have sent money through Western Union Money Transfer to Nigeria and this

proves you right that you have truly been swindled by those unscrupulous persons by sending

money to them through Western Union Money Transfer in the course of getting one fund or the

other that is not real, right now we are working hand in hand with Western Union to track

every fraudsters down, do not respond to their e-mails, letters and phone calls any longer

they are scammers and you should be very careful to avoid being a victim to fraudsters any

longer because they have nothing to offer you but to rip-off what you have worked hard to

earn.

In this regard a meeting was held between the Board of Directors of The Economic and

Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and as a consequence of our investigations it was agreed

that the sum of thirty thousand US Dollars ($30,000) us dollar should be transferred to you

out of the funds that Federal Government of Nigeria has set aside as a compensation to

everyone who have by one way or the other sent money to fraudsters in Nigeria.

We have deposited your fund at Western Union Money Transfer agent location EMS Post office

lagos, Nigeria. You will have to submitted your details to them so that your fund can be

transferred to you.We have insured your fund to avoid misappropriation.

Contact the Western Union agent office through any of the email addresses stated below;
wuemslocation@aol.com

Yours sincerely,
Maureen Chigozie (Ms)
Internet Crime Complaint Center
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)

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*******
Please note that some fraudsters are claiming to be the Executive Chairman, Chief Mrs.

Farida Mzamber Waziri (AIG rtd.) or staff of The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission

have recently been sending phony e-mails/letters and also calling unsuspecting persons,

with intent to defraud them. It is important to note that these fraudsters are criminals

engaged in Advanced Fee Fraud known in Nigeria as 419. Every day, people throughout the

world are falling victim to scams of one kind or another. But remember - if it sounds too

good to be true, it is probably a scam. In the circumstance, we unreservedly advice you to

dissociate yourself from all correspondence and transactions entered into based on

evidently fraudulent and fictitious claims.
*******************************************************************************************

*******

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam