419 scam: "FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, (FBI)."<marybelle_secretary@outlook.com> FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, (FBI).

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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.
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:
- "cost of transfer" (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. )
- "mtcn" (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. )
- "huge amount of money" (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)
- "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
This email message is a next of kin scam.
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.
- 234
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.
- smith.wilson@accountant.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, (FBI)." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <fbiiusajamesscomey2014@usa.com>
Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 11:07:21 -0700
Subject: FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, (FBI).

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, (FBI).
J. EDGAR. HOOVER BUILDING, 935 PENNSYLVANIA AVE.,
NW WASHINGTON D.C 20535-0001,
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

ATTENTION: BENEFICIARY,

GOOD NEWS, WE HAVE A MEETING WITH INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND AND NIGERIA GOVERNMENT OVER YOUR LONG OVERDUE INHERITANCE FUND PAYMENT AND WE INFORMED THEM THAT YOUR FUND SHOULD NOT COST YOU ANYTHING BECAUSE IS YOUR MONEY WHICH WE FINALLY REACHED TO AGREEMENT LAST WEEK THAT ALL THE PAYMENT WILL BE PAID VIA ATM SMART CARD BEEN THE SIMPLEST WAY TO TRANSFER HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY TO AVOID COST OF TRANSFER AND OTHER STATUTORY DOCUMENT UNITED STATES DOCUMENT LIKE (UNITED
STATES PATRIOT ACT) WHICH WE STRETCHED TO HAVE A STRUNG AGREEMENT OVER THE PAYMENT THAT WILL COST YOU ONLY US$245.00 ONLY FOR DELIVERY OF YOUR ATM SMART CARD VIA UPS OR FEDEX DELIVERING COMPANY.

HOWEVER, YOU HAVE ONLY TWO WORKING DAYS TO SEND THIS US$245.00 TO FEDEX OR UPS COURIER COMPANY FOR DELIVERING OF YOUR CARD,IF WE DON’T HEAR FROM YOU WITH THE PAYMENT INFORMATION; THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION WILL NOT HESITATE BY
GIVEN INSTRUCTION TO NIGERIA GOVERNMENT TO CANCEL YOUR PAYMENT THAT HAS BEEN PROGRAMMED IN ATM SMART CARD.

I WANT YOU TO READ BELOW CAREFULLY, THE NOTICE BELOW STAND AS CAUTION BEFORE IT IS LATE. FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, YOU MUST BE CONSCIOUS OF THIS PROJECT, AS I WILL SOON CONCLUDE THIS TRANSACTION WITH YOU, LET THIS STAND AS A WARNING BEFORE YOU IN CASE YOU RECEIVED ANY E-MAILS, OR CALLS REGARDING TO THIS FROM ANY INDIVIDUALS CLAIMED TO BE ME, OR E-MAILS, CALLS FROM ANY ORGANIZATION TO YOU, SUCH MUST BE FORWARDED TO US IMMEDIATELY, IT MIGHT COME TO YOU WITH DIFFERENT PROPOSALS WITH DIFFERENT NAMES INCLUDING MY NAME ASKING YOU TO COME AND CLAIM YOUR ESTATE OR EVEN FUNDS BELONGING TO YOU OR TO SOMEBODY YOU DO NOT KNOW, I URGE YOU TO IGNORE SUCH E-MAILS OR CALLS, WHILE YOU FORWARD IT TO US. I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR ME IS YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND CO-OPERATION, AGAIN WITHOUT THIS CODE (911) DOESN’T GET BACK TO THIS OFFICE.

MOREOVER, FIRST BATCH OF YOUR CARD WHICH CONTAINS US$600, 000.00 HAS BEEN ACTIVATED AND IS THE TOTAL FUND LOADED INSIDE THE CARD. YOUR FUND WHICH IS IN TOTAL US$3,600.000.00 MILLION WILL COME IN BATCHES OF GBP600,000.00 AND THIS IS THE FIRST BATCH.

YOUR ATM SMART CARD WOULD BE SENT TO YOU VIA UPS OR FEDEX; BECAUSE WE HAVE SIGNED A CONTRACT WITH THEM WHICH SHOULD EXPIRED BY OCTOBER 29TH 2014. BELOW ARE FEW LIST OF TRACKING NUMBERS YOU CAN TRACK FROM UPS WEBSITE (WWW.UPS.COM) TO CONFIRM PEOPLE LIKE YOU WHO HAVE RECEIVED THEIR PAYMENT SUCCESSFULLY.

MOREOVER, THIS IS ANOTHER PEOPLE THAT RECEIVED THERE PAYMENT THROUGH FEDEX
WEBSITE (WWW.FEDEX.COM).

1). MS. PAULA WILKINS COE, #111 SE RAILROAD, ST., PIKEVILLE, NC 27863, USA.
TRACKING NUMBER: 869713119185

2). MR. DAVID GLEM KEMP, #4370 N WILLOW RD., KINGMAN, ARIZONA, 86409, USA.
TRACKING NUMBER: 871363130860

3). MR. MOHAMED ANWER HUSSAIN, AL FALAKI CENTER, 2ND FLOOR, MINA STREET, JEDDAH,
SAUDI ARABIA. TRACKING NUMBER: 871000040860

4). MR. CLENNY ANTONIUS BRAAM, TERRESSTRAAT 38, 1056 RV AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS.
TRACKING NUMBER: 871363116168

HOWEVER, WE HEREBY ADVISED YOU THAT BASED ON OUR RECOMMENDATION/INSTRUCTIONS; YOU’RE COMPLETE OVER-DUE FUNDS WILL BE RELEASED IMMEDIATELY UPON YOUR CONTACT TO THE NEWLY APPOINTED PAYMENT OFFICER THAT WILL HAND OVER YOUR CARD TO COURIER
COMPANY WITH THE PAYMENT FOR DELIVERY OF YOUR PACKAGED. YOU ARE THEREFORE ADVISED TO CONTACT MR. SMITH WILSON APPOINTED DIRECTOR ATM SMART CARD/FOREIGN OPERATION DEPT AND ASK HIM HOW CAN FORWARD THE PAYMENT INFORMATION TO FEDEX OR
UPS COURIER COMPANY BELOW IS THE PAYMENT INFORMATION.

RECEIVER NAME:MR. PAUL MOGAN
ADDRESS: 4TH AVE.GLASS BUILDING FST.
CITY: LAGOS
COUNTRY: NIGERIA
ZIP CODE: 234
TEXT QUESTION::::: WHAT FOR
ANSWER:: :::: SERVICES

AFTER SENDING THE FEE, FORWARD THE BELOW DETAILS TO THEM:

MTCN:........................

SENDERS FULL NAME:...................

HOME/OFFICE ADDRESS:...................

CELL/MOBILE PHONE NUMBERS:...................

NEAREST AIR PORT:..........................

CONTACT PERSON: MR. SMITH WILSON AND EMAIL ADDRESS: (smith.wilson@accountant.com) YOU'RE ADVISED TO CONTACT HIM IMMEDIATELY SO AS TO ENABLE HIM FACILITATE THE SPEEDY PROCESSING AND RELEASE OF YOUR DELIVERY SINCE IS THE ONLY US$245.00 THAT IS KEEPING YOUR ATM CARD IN NIGERIA. CONTACT HIM WITH THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION AS ABOVE:

NOTE: YOU'RE ADVISED TO FURNISH THE NEWLY APPOINTED PAYMASTER GENERAL OF THE FEDERATION WITH YOUR CORRECT AND VALID DETAILS TO ENABLE HIM EXPEDITE SPEEDY ACTION ON THE PROCESSING OF YOUR PAYMENT. WE EXPECT YOUR SWIFT RESPONSE TO THIS EMAIL TO ENABLE US MONITOR THIS PAYMENT DELIVERY EFFECTIVELY THEREBY MAKING CONTACT WITH THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND AS DIRECTED TO AVOID FURTHER DELAY.

YOU’RE ALSO EXPECTED TO FOLLOW HIS ADVICE AND DIRECTIVES TO AVOID DELAY IN RELEASING YOUR PAYMENT BECAUSE YOUR PAYMENT FILE HAS ALREADY BEEN MOVED TO HIS OFFICE FOR PROCESSING AND VERIFICATION.

CONGRATULATIONS.

IN GOD WE TRUST.
YOURS IN SERVICE,
FBI DIRECTOR
JAMES B. COMEY

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam