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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "James B. Comey" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <fcomey951@yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 4 Jan 2015 01:45:20 +0200
Subject: For Your Kind Attention.

 
For  your Kind Attention.
 
 
This is an official advice from the FBI foreign remittance/telegraphic dept. it has come to our notice that bank of Nigeria has released us$8m  to BANK OF AMERICA in your name as the beneficiary, The bank Nigeria knowing fully well that they do not have enough facilities to effect this payment from Nigeria to your account, They used what we know as a “secret diplomatic transit payment” (S.T.D.P) to pay this fund through wire transfer, but this means of transfer can not reflect to your account as this was wrong method of transfer.
 
So to this regards we are contacting you to provide the proof of this us$8m you are about to receive is a clean money by sending  FBI Identification Record and also Diplomatic Immunity Seal Of Transfer(DIST) to satisfy  that the money you are about to receive is legitimate and real money. You are to forward the documents to us immediately, and if you don't have it in your possession, do let us know so that we will direct and inform you where to obtain the document and send to us so that we will ask the bank holding your funds to go ahead Crediting your account immediately.
 
Get back to us immediately if you don't have the document so that we will inform you the particular place to obtain the document because we have come to realize that the fund was transfer  without provision of  Identification Record and Diplomatic Immunity Seal Of Transfer (DIST) often referred to as a Criminal History Record or Rap Sheet, is a listing of certain information taken from fingerprint submissions retained by the FBI in connection with arrests and, in some instances, federal employment,naturalization, or military service. These conditions is Valid only for few days after we shall take actions on canceling the payment and then charge you for illegally moving funds out of Nigeria.
 
Get back to us now with requirement.
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------
WARNING: failure to produce the above requirement in the next 72 hours, legal action will be taken immediately by arresting and detaining you, if found guilty, you will be jailed. As terrorism, drug trafficking and money laundering is a serious problem in our community today. The F.B.I will not stop at any length in tracking down and prosecuting any criminal who indulge in this criminal act. FORWARD THE DOCUMENT TO US VIA EMAIL ATTACHMENT AS SOON AS YOU OBTAIN IT.
 
 
 
 
Thanks
 
FBI Director
James B. Comey
CC: Robert S. Mueller III

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