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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: "Finance Ministry" <financemiinistry@intrage.it>
Reply-To: financeministry@intrage.it
Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2016 08:51:01 -0500
Subject: Reminder,

Federal ministry of Finance
Banking and Payment System Department
Aso Towers, Central Business District,
P.M.B. 190, Garki, Abuja-Nigeria.
Email- financeministry@intrage.it


Please, endeavour to get back to us regarding the latest security developement of your unpaid sum with us.

We will not be held responsible for any further delay of your payment after seven (7) working days without any response from you. It is important to inform you that we have recieved the bank detail from Mr Graig Marshal who have written to us as your next of kin. He wrote that you are dead and can not stand to claim your contract sum. The finance ministry has agreed to pay your contract sum in two installments. The first eight million dollars shall be payed as soon as you are cleared by this office while the remaining eight million shall be payed towards the last quaters of this year.

Reconfirm your phone number and address for immediate telephone call and it is also very important that you understand that it is only the ministry of finance that has been charged with the responsibility to paying all foreign debts as instructed by the presidency.

Please desist from further communication from any person or group of persons that is using the name of this ministry to defraud people, to avoid been a victim of fraud.

This is a reminder.

Yours Sincerely,
MR. PAUL WILLIAMS
OPERATION MANAGER
Finance Ministry

Anti-fraud resources: