419 scam: "MR PAUL HOSTEIN"<info@usa.gov> FROM THE: Cyber ??Crimes for Federal Bureau of Investigation

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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:
- "million dollars" (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)
- "offshore account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.

Fraud email example:

From: "MR PAUL HOSTEIN" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <agentpaul_fbi09@usa.com>
Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2015 12:23:04 -0300
Subject: FROM THE: Cyber ??Crimes for Federal Bureau of Investigation

FROM THE: Cyber ??Crimes for Federal Bureau of Investigation
WASHINGTON DC.

Attention .......,

This is to bring to your notice of our success in apprehending some notorious fraudsters who have been extorting money from innocent American's and other citizens of other nations whom by no chance have no knowledge about this ridiculous tragedy.
During the Process of interrogation, the Criminals Confessed your name Along with Other citizens from Different Locations who fell to this unimaginable scams as a Victim of Circumstances there.
Thus, we are making a direct contact with you to identify yourself as one of the victims mentioned by this fraudsters during interrogation. You may not be able to identify them facially as displayed on our FBI official website link below, this is because they disguise themselves with fake photos and none legit identification.

We have been able to recover $ 1.7 Million dollars from four local accounts and three offshore accounts owned by one of the suspects from where they usually lodge the stolen funds which they have extorted from innocent people, including many more assets not listed on this mail. We are making it succinctly clear to you that Justice shall prevail, there statements and confessions have been recorded and documented, all we await is your reply to re-identify yourself as one of the victims before charging them to court.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE DOWNLOAD THE ATTACHED PHOTOS OF THE SUSPECTS ON THE FILE BELOW OR FOLLOW THE LINK HERE: https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/cyber AND GET BACK TO US IMMEDIATELY WITH YOUR RESPONSE.

Chief Division Counsel:

Paul M. Holstein

FBI Albany
200 McCarty Avenue
Albany, NY 12209

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam