419 scam: "Michael M.Edwards"<admin@dakiksms.com> From: Dr.Michael M.Edwards.

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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:
- "clearance fee" (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. )
- ",500,000" (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)
- "economic financial crime commission" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
- "(efcc)" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
- "abuja" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
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.
- +2348057733327 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "Michael M.Edwards" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <unitednationsoversightservice1@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2016 22:30:37 +0100
Subject: From: Dr.Michael M.Edwards.

UNITED NATIONS
OFFICE OF INTERNAL OVERSIGHT SERVICES
Internal Audit, Monitoring, Consulting.
ABUJA NIGERIA.

From: Dr.Michael M.Edwards.

Re: Approved Payment Valued US$10.5M in Your Favour.

This is to inform you that I came to Nigeria yesterday from united States, after series of complaint from the FBI, and other Security agencies from Asia, Europe, South America and the United States of America respectively, against the Federal Government of Nigeria and the British Government for the rate of scam activities going on in these two nations.

Right now, as directed by United Nations secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, we are working in collaborations with the Economic Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and FBI, we have decided to waive away all your clearance fees/Charges and authorized the Government of Nigeria to effect your overdue payment worth $10,500,000.00 USD only into your account without further delay as approved and instructed by the Department of States and UNITED NATIONS. But the only fee you will pay to receive your fund is the NOTARIZATION CLEARANCE FEE. Upon your request, I will tell you the Amount and also send you the payment information you will use in sending the Notarization Clearance fee.

Sincerely, you are a lucky person because we discovered that some top Nigerian Government Officials are interested in your fund and they are working in collaboration with One Thomas Williams and Ms.Barbara Benson from USA to frustrate you and thereafter divert your fund into their personal account. We have taken over your payment now and must surely pay you legitimately once you follow our sincere advice/instruction.

You can as well send your payment information

(1) Your Valid Direct Tel/ Mobile/Fax Number.
(2) Your Full Name:
(3) Current Resident Address.
(4) Your Private E-mail Address.
(5) Your Occupation:
(6) Your Age and Sex:
(7) Your Nationality:
(8) Driving licence or your passport copy or your working id card:
(9) Your Next of Kin:
(10)Monthly Income:
(11) Your Bank Details, where you want the fund to be wired. Such as Bank Name, Bank Address: Routing Number, Bank Swift Code and Bank Telephone Number.

We need your maximum co-operation to effect your payment within 72 banking hours.

Please call us on our direct telephone number +234 8057733327 immediately you received this message for more advise

Urgent Compliance is to your advantage.

Sincerely yours,

Dr. Michael M. Edwards.
United Nations Under-Secretary-
General for Internal Oversight
OUR CODE UN90XFN

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam