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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: "Dr Joseph Oba" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <drjoseph_o@yahoo.ca>
Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2012 14:21:51 +0100
Subject: SUSPECT: From Dr. Joseph Oba,Treat As Urgent...

>From Head of Foreign Payment Department.
 
Attn: Pls,
Did you authorize Mrs. Valorie J. Palmer, who presented documents of claim signed by you for the release of your part-payment of Nine Million United States Dollars Ready for transfer? But Mrs. Valorie J. Palmer is Claiming the fund while the Beneficiary Still Valid in your Name. Ensure that you do not delay to get back soonest as this calls for urgent and cogent attention to avoid misdirection of fund.
If you did not give any Authorization to the said Mrs. Valorie J. Palmer for claim of your fund, please reconfirm immediately to avoid banking irregularities, as your fund is now ready to be transferred based on the urgent instructions from the Committee of Foreign Contractor Payments Board. In summary of what you need to do is to get back with the information request below to enable Federal Reserve Bank of New York contact you.
(1) Your Full Name
(2) Full residential address
(3) Cell Phone number
(4) Occupation
(5) The Photo page of your International passport or your Driver's License.
As soon as this information is received, your payment will be transfer to you through Federal Reserve Bank of New York to your nominated Bank Account directly. You are advice to respond to the mail as quickly as it deserves.
Waiting for your reply.
Dr. Joseph Oba,
Head of Foreign Payment Department.

Anti-fraud resources: