419 scam: "ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIMES COMMISSION"<admin.efcc@bol.com.br> UNPAID COMPENSATION/INHERITANCE FUND SUM.

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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:
- "fund beneficiary" (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)
- "economic and financial crimes commission" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.

Fraud email example:

From: "ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIMES COMMISSION" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <efcc.nigeria@bol.com.br>
Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2012 13:50:38 -0700
Subject: UNPAID COMPENSATION/INHERITANCE FUND SUM.

Attention: Fund Beneficary,

My name is Mr Ibrahim Lamorde, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Nigeria. This agency is saddled with the responsibility of checking and arresting criminal elements in Nigeria's Government parastatals and civil services, who fail to execute contracts awarded to them and those who launder Government funds to off-shore bank accounts abroad for their personal use.

Recently, our scope of operation has been widened to include the arrest of internet fraudsters(also known as 419ners) in the Nigerian society who impersonate real Government officials in order to help make their scam appear legimate for the single purpose of defrauding unsuspecting members of the internet/general public. We have been able to make large scale arrests and have been successful in seizing, confiscating, and freezing properties and bank accounts running into millions of dollars belonging to these apprehended fraudsters.

This Commission is now working on modalities to bring restitution to you and other victims of this unwholesome practice of a few criminally minded Nigerian/African individuals who have decided to tarnish the image of our nation. If we are in contact with the true fund beneficiary/scam victim, do inform us accordingly and please be wary of impersonators who claim to be me because they mean no good. Your prompt response will be duly attended to.

Sincerely,
Mr Ibrahim Lamorde,
Chairman,
EFCC.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam