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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. Williams B. Welstead" <o_customs@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: "Dr. Williams B. Welstead" <customs1972@ws-loei.ac.th>
Date: Sat, 5 Oct 2013 08:24:30 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: ATTN: BENEFICIARY, URGENT MESSAGE REGARDING YOUR FUND. FINAL NOTICE


USA Customs Services? Director's Office In Charge
Dr. Williams B. Welstead,  Dfw International Airport
3200 East Alfield DFW TX 75261
 
 
Attention Dear Beneficiary,.
 
Good day to you, this is the second notice we are sending to you in regards to your consignment trunk boxes left here in our office, we notified you about this few weeks ago but we haven’t heard from you up till this moment. Based on board of directors meeting today with the FBI, they have concluded to approve the cash consignment Trunk Boxes on favor of your representative  Mr. Thomas Allen due to he have submitted all the documentation and passport for evidence that you left all your title on his care as your next of kin to take care of your children. 


(see above Diplomatic Agent)With the pictures showing the Trunk Boxes



So the only thing left right now is to the obtain the certificate of ownership which Mr. Thomas Allen agreed to pay for the certificate, and the customs authority wanted to release the consignment trunk boxes to Mr. Thomas Allen but I refused and inform them that we can still give you the grace of today to send the required fee, that is what I told the customs authority because Mr. Thomas Allen is a fraud artistes and I told the customs authority here that the documents Mr. Thomas has with him is not legitimate and genuine  documents, so I will like you to co-operate with me to retrieve this legacy consignment trunk boxes to you to avoid the USA customs authority in Taxes releasing the cash consignment trunk boxes to Mr. Thomas Allen.
 
According to Mr. Thomas, he stated that you are in the hospital for almost a Month now which he is not sure if you will survive, so I want you to reply this mail back with the evidence of payment, if you are real sure that you didn’t sent Mr. Thomas Allen or anyone else to come and claim your consignment trunk boxes on your behalf but if we did not hear from you today, the USA customs authority in Taxes will release the consignment trunk boxes to your representative Mr. Thomas , So I want you to rush to the nearest western union location in your area and send the needed $75 so that the certificate required for the release of your consignment trunk boxes will be procure and forward to us and we will update you immediately we receive it so that you can be ready to receive it to your home address within the next of 3hour Today. 
 
Send the fee to the name listed below so we can forward it to Benin Republic Customs authority, and the diplomat will make the delivery to your home address Today.  So please we advice you stay and wait to receive the consignment trunk boxes personally because we won’t like the Agent to giving it to someone else unless you have an urgent place to attend then you must drop a written note with whom ever you ask to receive it on your behalf. 
 
Receiver’s Data / information:
 
Receiver’s Name::::: Udezuo Emmanuel
City Location:::::: Cotonou
Country:::::::: Benin Republic
Text Question::::: Color
Answer::::::::  White
Sender’s Name…
MTCN#...
 Amount::::::::::::$75
 
I will advise you to try as much as you can to make sure that you wire the fee immediately after you have receive this mail so that all your effort to receive your consignment trunk boxes will not be in vain  to another man ‘s favor .
 
Yours sincerely
Dr. Williams B. Welstead
U.S Customs Service 

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