419 Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam (2006-01)

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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.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "activation fee" (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. )
- "required fee " (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. )
- "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)
- "executive governor" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
- "central bank of nigeria" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
- "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.
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.
- +2348075019381 (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.
- reply.centralbankofnigeria@rediffmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA <centbnkoffice@excite.it>
Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2012 22:50:56 -0500
Subject: IT IS VERY CONFIDENTIAL AND IMPORTANT ( YOU MUST READ AND REPLY
NOW )

CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA
54 / 55 TINUBU SQUARE
MARINA LAGOS
NIGERIA
+234-8-075-019-381
Email. reply.centralbankofnigeria@rediffmail.com

Attention,

This mail is coming to you in regards to your ATM MASTER CARD which
delivery fee has been paid to DIPLOMATIC SHALOM COMPANY for your ATM
CARD which is to be activated with the sum of Nine million eight
hundred thousand United States dollars ($9.8m) for easy and safe
delivery with the withdrawal limit of $50,000.00 United States Dollars
daily.

Although, i have to use a new email address and send this mail to you
for the fact that i have received an information from the Anti fraud
Alert Department here in Nigeria that i have to change all my
information before proceeding on this transaction in other to secure
this transaction.

This funds is found on our File during the resumption of the year
audition of all the File here on my table as i just resumed for this
month and i Dr. Lamido Sanusi, the Executive Governor of the Central
Bank of Nigeria have brought up the decision to send your
Beneficiary/Contractual due to you via an ATM CARD and your file is
next to be treated immediately you have responded positively to my
email .

However, you might have received various emails from people, but we
are sorry for what that might have caused to you, as you can read from
our mail that our President whom has been elected inn and been doing
well under some years in his office also have sign an approval on this
transaction.

But yesterday at about 10:am Nigerian time, One Mr. Daniel Ndidi,
happens to appear before me in person from the United States Of
America claiming that you have sent him to withdrawn the ATM MASTER
CARD and it has to be released to him personally.

He has as well submitted to me the certificate of funds transfer
written in your name that you have approved him as the beneficiary to
your funds of which i believed that was not really the truth.

He has then tried to pay for the activation fee of the ATM MASTER CARD
of $450 which is the only required fee to be paid to enable the
activation of the ATM CARD at the activation department office as well
as to allow him withdrawn the funds at once immediately he returned
back to United States.

I have then instructed the police Inspector General here in Nigeria to
keep two of his men as the monitoring officer to monitor his movement.

This mail is to ask if you have really sent him on your behalf to
receive your ATM MASTER CARD which the delivery fee has been paid by
the Central bank of Nigeria to the delivery company.

If NO, Please resubmit the below information:

1. YOUR FULL NAME :
2. YOUR HOME ADDRESS:
3. YOUR CURRENT HOME TELEPHONE NUMBER:
4. A SCANNED COPY OF YOUR I:D CARD/DRIVERS LICENSE
5 .NATIONALITY :
6 .SEX :MALE
7. AGE:

Ensure that you call me immediately for the benefit of protecting your
transaction.

This message if very important and must be replied immediately to
avoid loosing your ATM MASTER CARD

Best Regards
Dr. LAMIDO SANUSI
EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR
CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam