419 scam: "Mr.Jerry Howard" <mr.jerry4@gmail.com> FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION FBI.WASHINGTON DC 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.
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. )
- "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)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "cashier's check" (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
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.
- barristerjames_olawale@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr.Jerry Howard" <mr.jerry4@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2012 23:13:07 -0700
Subject: FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION FBI.WASHINGTON DC ALERT...

Anti-Terrorist And Monetary Crimes Division
FBI Headquarters In Washington, D.C.
Federal Bureau Of Investigation
J. Edgar Hoover Building
935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20535-0001

Attn: Dear winning ,

This is to Officially inform you that it has come to our notice and we
have thoroughly
completed an Investigation with the help of our Intelligence Monitoring Network
System that you legally won the sum of $900,000.00 USD from a Lottery Company
outside the United States of America. During our investigation we
discovered that your e-mail won the money from an Online Balloting
System and we have authorized this winning to be paid to you via a
Certified Cashier's Check.

Normally, it will take up to 3 business days for an International
Check to be cashed by your local bank. We have successfully notified
this company on your behalf that funds are to be drawn from a
registered bank within the United States Of America so as to enable
you cash the check instantly without any delay, henceforth the stated
amount of $900,000.00 USD has been deposited with Bank Of America.

We have completed this investigation and you are hereby approved to receive the
winning prize as we have verified the entire transaction to be Safe
and 100% risk free, due to the fact that the funds have been deposited
at Bank Of America you will be required to settle the following bills
directly to the Lottery Agent in-charge of this
transaction whom is located in Lagos, Nigeria. According to our
discoveries, you were required to pay for the following -

(1) Deposit Fee's ( Fee's paid by the company for the deposit into an
American Bank
which is - Bank Of America )

(2) Cashier's Check Conversion Fee ( Fee for converting the Wire
Transfer payment into
a Certified Cashier's Check )

(3) Shipping Fee's ( This is the charge for shipping the Cashier's
Check to your home
address and this fee includes Insurance)

The total amount for everything is $285.00 We have tried our possible
best to indicate that this $285.00 should be deducted from your
winning prize but we found out that the funds have already been
deposited at Bank Of America and cannot be accessed by anyone apart
from you the winner, therefore you will be required to pay the
required fee's to the Agent in-charge of this transaction via Western
Union Money Transfer Or Money Gram.
In order to proceed with this transaction, you will be required to
contact the agent
in-charge ( MR. JAMES OLAWALE) via e-mail. Kindly look below to find
appropriate
contact information:

CONTACT AGENT NAME: MR. JAMES OLAWALE
E-MAIL ADDRESS: barristerjames_olawale@yahoo.com
You will be required to e-mail him with the following information:
FULL NAME:
ADDRESS:
CITY:
STATE:
ZIP CODE:
DIRECT CONTACT NUMBER:

You will also be required to request Western Union Money Transfer or Money Gram
details on how to send the required $285.00 in order to immediately
ship your prize of $900,000.00 USD via Certified Cashier's Check drawn
from Bank Of America, also include the following transaction code in
order for him to immediately identify this transaction : EA2948-91090.

This letter will serve as proof that the Federal Bureau Of
Investigation is authorizing
you to pay the required $285.00 ONLY to MR. JAMES OLAWALE via information in
which he shall send to you, if you do not receive your winning prize
of $900,000.00 we shall be held responsible for the loss and this
shall invite a penalty of $3,000 which will be made PAYABLE ONLY to
you (The Winner).
Washington DC FBI.
Room, 7367
J. Edgar Hoover Building
935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20535-0001

NOTE: In order to ensure your check gets delivered to you ASAP, you
are advised to immediately contact MR. JAMES OLAWALE via contact
information provided above and make the required payment of $285.00 to
information in which he shall provide to you.

Yours Truly,
The Director,
Mr.Jerry Howard
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION FBI.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam