419 scam: "Office of the Presidency"<financialmatters@presidency.be> Office of the Presidency

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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:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
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:
- "to your nominated bank account" (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)
- "cotonou" (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 free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- africdevelopmentbankfilee@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Office of the Presidency" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <africdevelopmentbankfilee@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 4 Aug 2016 10:30:08 -0700
Subject: Office of the Presidency

Office of the Presidency
Republic of Benin
Cotonou Benin.

To all Scam Victims that was defrauded from our beloved Country,Benin Republic.This to inform you that due to various complains from the outside World, the new Government of Cotonou Benin Republic under newly elected President Patrice Talon had decided to pay all victims the sum of US$2.5M as compensation.

In the line of the above, you are requested to send your name, your address, your country of origin as well as your phone number, to African Development Bank which the Presidency had approved as the paying bank with this email contact below:

Mr. Kayode Williams
General Manager
African Development Bank
Cotonou Benin Republic
Email: africdevelopmentbankfilee@gmail.com

Note that every necessary documents will be provided for this transaction. No body will demand for one document or the other, the Government had dully provided it for successful transfer of this compensation to your Account.

Finally, you will be required to sign some necessary international transferring papers/documents. These needs your Signatories or an Attorney will be haired to do it on yourself and your Fund will be transferred to your nominated bank Account within 48 hours.

Yours Faithfully,
Mr. Alain Soglo
Secretary to the President on Financial Matters.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam