419 scam: "Rt Hon George Osborne MP" <control@hm-treasury.gov.uk> Read Instruction

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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:
- "money laundering" ("anti-terrorist", "anti-money laundering" or "drug-free" certificates are a common way for criminals in fake lottery scams and other Advance Fee scams to get you to send money to them. There are no such certificates in the real banking world. )
- ",500,000" (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)
This email message is a fake lottery scam. Consider the following facts about real lotteries:
1. They don't notify winners by email.
2. You can't win without first buying a lottery ticket.
3. They don't randomly select email addresses to award prizes to.
4. They don't use free email accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc) to communicate with you.
5. They don't tell you to call a mobile phone number.
6. They don't tell you to keep your winnings secret.
7. They will never ask a winner to pay any fees to receive a prize!

Fraud email example:

From: "Rt Hon George Osborne MP" <control@hm-treasury.gov.uk>
Reply-To: <g.osborne@gmx.com>
Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2012 10:59:00 +0100
Subject: Read Instruction

HM Treasury's Correspondence and Enquiry Unit

From The Office of Rt Hon George Osborne MP

Chancellor of the Exchequer

Horse Guards Road

London SW1A 2HQ

Tel:+44 (0) 700 580 0054

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Our Ref: UK/TREAS/898ATCP

File Code No: HM/IMF/7890/121

Dear Sir,

Have you made any past attempt to claim lottery winning funds, contact funds or any inheritance fund on your name from Africa, Asia and within the United Kingdom without any success? We have set up a panel to review unsuccessful individual transactions with international inheritance/contract insurance and lottery organizations including foreign banks especially in Africa, Asia and within the United Kingdom.

From the investigations made, you are entitled to receive an approved sum of $15,500,000.00 USD but your fund payment application requirements are not complete. Therefore, we will not be able to authorize any Bank in United Kingdom to pay any fund to you until you correct this mistake.

It is very important we state that you will never receive your funds through any foreign bank until you provide an evidence of your identification document such as a scanned copy of your drivers license or international passport.

Make sure to send your response by clicking here.

Failure to provide this requirement for your payment will continue to nullify your chances of receiving your funds, and this fund will be confiscated and made to be forfeited under the Money Laundering and other Financial Crime Prohibition Act of 2003.

Kindly cooperate with my assistance and I will make sure your funds are paid to you without delay.

Regards,

Chancellor of the Exchequer

Rt Hon George Osborne MP (Conservative)

HM Treasury Chancellor's Private Office.

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Disclaimer: The information in this email and in any files transmitted with it, is intended only for the addressee and contains confidential and/or privileged material. Access to this email by anyone else is unauthorized. If you receive this in error, please contact the sender immediately and delete the material from your computer. If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying, distribution or any action taken or omitted to be taken in reliance on it, is strictly prohibited.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam