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:

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:
- ",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)
- "you are advice to " (this email uses bad English)
- "economic financial crime 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. )
- "offshore account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- "operationunit01@administrativos.com" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
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.
- +447031926076 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: "Metropolitan Police Service (Fraud Alert Department)" <info360@met.police.uk> (may be fake)
Reply-To: drew@ton.net.ru
Date: Tue, 17 Sep 2013 15:55:21 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: Details of Our Investigation[Contact The R.B.S For More
Info]!!!

Metropolitan Police Service
(D.P.S Complaints and Satisfaction Team)
22nd Floor, Empress State Building,
Lillie Road,
London
SW6 1TR.

C/O: Federal Bureau Investigations (F.B.I)
Criminal Investigations Bureau (C.I.B)
International Monetary Funds (I.M.F)
All Security Agencies.

Attention:!!!

Re: Details of Our Investigation.

Respectively, this is to inform you personally that after thorough
Investigation reviewed of your transaction file, your funds transfer
release documents by the Federal Intelligence of the Metropolitan Police
Service {M.P.S} in conjunction with the Department of the Homeland
Security {D.H.S} of United States of America, National Security Agency
{N.S.A}, The Economic Financial Crime Commission {E.F.C.C} of the West
African Region and the International Monetary Fund assessment report.

Take note that your payment file was forwarded to us for a conclusive
investigation towards the immediate transfer of a part-payment of
$2,500,000.00 US Dollars to be credited in your designated Bank Account
from their offshore account with the Royal Bank of Scotland in United
Kingdom.

The Audit reports given to us shows that you have been going through hard
times by paying a lot of money to Criminals, Thieves and Internet
Fraudsters to the release of your funds, which has been delayed by this
dubious officials, thereby rubbing you of your hard earn money and made
you a Scam Victim. Beware that few of the Criminals have been caught and
brought to justice as we do speak.

We the Federal Intelligence of the Metropolitan Police Service {M.P.S} in
conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security {DHS} of the United
States of America, National Security Agency {N.S.A}, The Economic
Financial Crime Commission {E.F.C.C} of the West African Region and the
International Monetary Fund {I.M.F} advice that you stop all further
communication with any correspondence outside this office, in order not to
put you in problems or end you up in Jail for Misappropriation of Funds.

For further details and assistance on this remittance notification, you
are advice to follow our directives and Instructions, as your payment will
be credited and reflect in your Bank Account within five (5) Bank working
days, in this regards kindly forward the under listed information’s such
as,

Your Full Name:
Your Full Contact Address:
Your Telephone:
Your Fax Numbers:

Directly to the Head, International Banking Division of Royal Bank of
Scotland.

Name of Bank: Royal Bank of Scotland
Name on Seat: Stephen A. M. Hester {Chief Executive Officer & Executive
Director}
Contact Email: OperationUnit01@administrativos.com
Contact Tel: +44 7031 9260 76

Best Regards,
Sir. Bernard Hogan-Howe (Commissioner of Police)
Metropolitan Police Service (Fraud Alert Department)
Internet Advance Fee Fraud.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam