419 scam: "PROF. JOHN MARK" <arif@ecs.com> 2012 ALERT....

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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:
- "atm payment department" (this phrase is often used in the ATM card payment scam)
- "swift card payment center" (this phrase is often used in the ATM card payment scam)
- "card center will send you an atm card" (this phrase is often used in the ATM card payment scam)
- ",000,000" (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)
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "central bank of nigeria" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
- "atmcardpaymentdepartment@centrum.cz" (this email address looks like addresses used in "ATM SWIFT card" scams)
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.
- +2348030573997 (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.
- atmcardpaymentdepartment@centrum.cz (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "PROF. JOHN MARK" <arif@ecs.com>
Reply-To: <atmcardpaymentdepartment@centrum.cz>
Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:09:07 -0200
Subject: 2012 ALERT....

CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATION
INTERNATIONAL CREDIT SETTLEMENT,
ATM PAYMENT DEPARTMENT (CBN)

Attention: Beneficiary/Contractor,

This is to officially inform you that we have verified your contract/inheritance file and found out that why you have not received your payment is because you have not fulfilled the obligations given to you in respect of your contract/inheritance payment. Meanwhile, a woman came to my office few days ago with a letter of claiming to be your true representative here in Nigeria to claim your over due contract fund payment, here are her information’s which she want to use to claim your fund:

NAME: Mary G. Williams
BANK NAME: Washington Mutual Bank USA
BANK ADDRESS: Washington, USA.
ACCOUNT Number: 6503809428.

However, do reconfirm to this office as a matter of urgency if this woman is from you so that the federal government will not be held responsible for paying into a wrong account name and Right now we have arranged your payment through our Swift Card Payment Center Asia pacific that is the latest instruction from the new elected PRESIDENT, Mr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GCFR) FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA. This card center will send you an ATM CARD which you will use to withdraw your money in any ATM MACHINE in any part of the world, but the maximum is One thousand Five Hundred dollars per day, so if you like to receive your fund this way please let us know by contacting the Swift Card payment Center, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), For more information regard to your payment.

Name: Dr. Phil Wilson
Position: Director General Swift Card Payment Center (CBN)
Telephone: 234 803 057 3997
E-mail: atmcardpaymentdepartment@centrum.cz

1. YOUR FULL NAME:
2. PHONE AND FAX NUMBER:
3. ADDRESS WHERE YOU WANT THEM TO SEND THE ATM CARD:
4. YOUR AGE AND CURRENT OCCUPATION:
5. ATTACH COPY OF YOUR IDENTIFICATION:

The ATM CARD PAYMENT CENTER has been mandated to issue out $10,000,000.00 as part payment for this fiscal year 2010. Also for your information, you have to stop any further communication with any other person(s) or office(s) to avoid any hitches in receiving your Payment. For oral discussion, call and email me back as soon as you receive this important message for further direction and also update me on any development from the above-mentioned office. Note that because of impostors, we hereby issued you our code of conduct, which is (ATM-822) so you have to indicate this code when contacting the Swift Card Payment Center by using it as your subject.

Yours sincerely,

PROF. JOHN MARK
Chief-Auditor (CBN)

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam