419 Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam (2006-01)

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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:
- "western union" (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. )
- "money gram" (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. )
- "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)
- "million united state 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)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- "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. )
- "lagos" (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.
Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
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.
- +2349056300888 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)
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.
- ubankafricca121@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "REV INNOCENT ISAAC"<admin@landtelescope.eu>
Reply-To: ubankafricca121@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2016 08:02:47 -0700
Subject: FROM THE DESK OF REV INNOCENT ISAAC DIRECTOR CASH PROCESSING UNIT UNITED
BANK FOR AFRICA (UBA)

SANTOS AVE. IKEJA LAGOS,
P.M.B 0127 IKEJA, LAGOS NIGERIA
DATE OCT. 2016

REVEREND FATHER INNOCENT ISAAC
DIRECTOR CASH PROCESSING UNIT.
PHONE#+234-9056-300-888
EMAIL:(ubankafricca121@gmail.com)

NOTE: IF YOU RECEIVE THIS MESSAGE IN YOUR SPAM/BULK FOLDER, THAT IS BECAUSE OF THE RESTRICTIONS IMPLEMENTED BY YOUR INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER, WE UBA BANK AGENCY URGE YOU TO TREAT IT GENUINELY. THANK YOU.

I AM REV. INNOCENT ISAAC DIRECTOR CASH PROCESSING UNIT UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA (UBA) THE ONLY BANK APPOINTED BY THE A.U MEMBERS LED BY PRESIDENT BONI YAYI BECAUSE OF THE FRAUD GOING ON IN WEST AFRICA COUNTRIES WHERE SOME INNOCENT BENEFICIARIES WERE ASKED TO PAY IN ADVANCE BEFORE RECEIVING THE MONEY OWED TO THEM.

THE ABOVE AFRICA UNION HELD MEETING IN LAGOS NIGERIA AND OFFICIALLY RESOLVED TO PAY ALL THE BENEFICIARIES THROUGH A LEGAL MEANS OF DIPLOMATIC COURIER SERVICE AND WE RECEIVED YOUR FILES FROM THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND (I.M.F) AS ONE OF THE BENEFICIARIES.

TAKE NOTE, TEN THOUSAND UNITED STATE DOLLARS (US$10000.00) HAS BEEN DEDUCTED OUT FROM YOUR FUND TO COVER ALL THE EXPENSES IN SENDING THE MONEY TO YOU THROUGH GENUINE DIPLOMATIC COURIER SERVICE AND HOW IT WAS SPENT WILL BE DETAILED TO YOU.

THEREFORE, I WANT YOU TO HAVE IT IN YOUR MIND THAT YOUR TOTAL FUND WILL BE NO MORE FOUR MILLION UNITED STATE DOLLARS (4000000.00) BUT THREE MILLION NINE HUNDRED AND NINETY THOUSAND UNITED STATE DOLLARS (3,990,000.00) SO IF ANY ONE TELLS YOU THAT HE IS PAYING YOU IN BANK DRAFT OR TELE-GRAFIC MONEY TRANSFER BOTH WESTERN UNION OR MONEY GRAM, DO NOT LISTEN TO HIM SUCH PERSON AND BECAUSE OF THIS FRAUD GOING ON, NO INTERNATIONAL BANK HONOURS OUR REMITTANCE INSTRUCTIONS ANYMORE AND THAT IS WHY WE SETTLED TO PAY IN CASH THROUGH COURIER DELIVERY.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION, WE RECEIVED A SECURITY ALERT/REPORT THAT YOU PAID THE FRAUDSTERS WHO HAVE BEEN DECEIVING YOU, TELLING YOU THAT THEY ARE GOING TO PAY YOU THIS MONEY AND AFTER YOU GET ABSOLUTELY NOTHING FROM THEM AND THEY KEEP TAKING ADVANTAGE OF YOU.

DEAR, AS A SENIOR BANKER CONTROLLING THIS CASH PAYMENT NOW, I WILL ADVISE YOU NOT TO WASTE YOUR MONEY BY PAYING ANY BODY IN ADVANCE AGAIN AND IF YOU JUST FOLLOW MY INSTRUCTIONS YOU WILL RECEIVE YOUR MONEY WITHIN TWO DAYS TIME.

YOUR FUND WILL NOW BE PACKAGED IN A CONSIGNMENT BOX AND BE TAKEN TO THE DIPLOMATIC COURIER SERVICE FOR IMMEDIATE SHIPMENT, I WILL ALSO SEND THE PICTURE OF THE BOX BY ATTACHMENT TO YOU, FOR YOU TO SEE HOW THE MONEY IS PACKED, I WILL SEND YOU MORE MAILS TO GIVE MORE INFORMATION WITH MY INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT FOR YOU TO KNOW THE GENUINE OF THIS TRANSACTION.

HOWEVER, DO FORWARD YOUR HOME ADDRESS AND DIRECT/PERSONAL PHONE/CELL NUMBER TO EM FOR DELIVERY BECAUSE TIME IS NOT IN OUR SIDE.

ALL THE DOCUMENTS WILL BE SENT TO YOU IF I AM ASSURED THAT YOU HAVE STOPPED SENDING MONEY TO THOSE FRAUDSTERS/LIARS AND STOPPED ANY FURTHER COMMUNICATION TO THEM, BUT GOD WILL SURELY JUDGE ALL THEM WHO LIVE BY CHEATING, MY BIBLE SAYS WHAT DOES IT PROFIT A MAN IF HE GAINS THE WHOLE WORD BUT LOOSES HIS SOUL, WHICH IS NOTHING!

I AM WAITING TO HEAR FROM YOU WITH THE REQUIRED INFORMATION OF YOURS SO WE CAN SPEED UP WITH THE DELIVERY PROCESS.

REV. INNOCENT ISAAC
DIRECTOR CASH PROCESSING UNIT,
UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC.
PHONE#+234-9056-300-888

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam