419 scam: "Sir.Steven Grant" <governoncbn@yahoo.com> Please treat as urgent!!!

joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet

Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days

Home

About Us

Spam

419/Nigeria

Fraud

Contact

"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:
- "anti-terrorist certificate" ("anti-terrorist", "anti-money laundering" or "drug-free" certificates are a common way for criminals in fake lottery scams and other Advance Fee scams to get you to send money to them. There are no such certificates in the real banking world. )
- "the consignment" (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)
- "consignment " (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)
- "dear beneficiary," (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
- "diplomatic courier" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.

Fraud email example:

From: "Sir.Steven Grant" <governoncbn@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: stevengrant445@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 08:50:08 +0100
Subject: Please treat as urgent!!!

Dear beneficiary,

I am Steve Grant,World Bank representative in Nigeria and going by series of petition received from International Financial Agencies on the way your inheritance fund was handled by our correspondence office, after extensive close door meeting with Board of Directors and other Stakeholders in the Government, Subcommittees of the House Of Assembly,Federal Republic of Nigeria.

It has been resolved and agreed upon that your Contract/Inheritance/Lotto Fund would be released to you on a special method of payment.
This method of payment is designed by the Government to avert fraud perpetration or stoppage of fund by some Agencies either through Anti-Terrorist Certificate or other certificates and this would be avail to you upon meeting the Bank Requirement.
Furthermore,this office has been mandated to take charge of the payment, and your contract/inheritance payment file should be passed to my desk for clarification upon certification that your file is OK.

This Office would direct you on how to receive your overdue fund via our Diplomatic courier delivery system. The cash would be delivered to you via Courier service and in the light of this aforementioned, you are required to furnish this office with the following information if different from the one we already have:
Your Full Name:
Address:
Valid photo Id
Your telephone number and fax:

This information would be used in making necessary arrangement for you to receive the your money at your doorstep without any delay.
Upon completion of this you will be updatedas per the airlifting of the consignment to you via the Diplomatic courier service to your residential address.

Kindly furnish this office with your contact information in order to reconfirm if its in line with the one contained in our payment data. Be informed that your fund has been called back and its now in suspended account here in our Bank.
Waiting for an urgent response.

Yours Faithfully,

Sir. Steven Grant.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam