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:
- "money laundering" ("anti-terrorist", "anti-money laundering" or "drug-free" certificates are a common way for criminals in fake lottery scams and other Advance Fee scams to get you to send money to them. There are no such certificates in the real banking world. )
- "a security company " (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. )
- "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.
- isaacajah12@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs Rose Kelly." <"wwww."@poem.ocn.ne.jp>
Reply-To: "Mrs Rose Kelly." <isaacajah12@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 8 Jan 2017 01:37:13 +0900 (JST)
Subject: Due to the Internet Error, If You Got This Mail As Junk, Please
Click It To Inbox.

Attn: Dear Account Owner,

Due to the Internet Error, If You Got This Mail As Junk, Please Click It To Inbox.

I felt expedient to write and inform you on the wicked conspiracy hatched by the duo of (Mr. George
Williams and Mr. Thompson Lawson) of the Ministry of Finance to divert your money to their designated account in Benin Republic.

From my position as a lowly clerk in this office, I discovered that they moved the fund from United States to China, and then moved it last week to Cotonou in Benin. Today I found out through the Central computer database that they are about to reroute your fund to a security company in Benin Republic where they will be able to maneuver the strict IMF money laundering regulatory orders.

With this, I felt that it is important for me to alert you on this development. They are still using your name and contract/inheritance identification number as the beneficiary but they have changed the account co-ordinate and this is the reason they are frustrating you by asking for endless fees in order to buy time pending on when they will transfer your funds to their designated account.

I have the reference number of the transaction and also I have the number of the official who is directly in charge at the SECURITY COMPANY. Your payment is supposed to go through the Euro-Asia Credit Control Financial Clearing Department before final Lodgement into the security company. All the data/information about your funds file are within my reach. I do not need gratification from you either in cash or kind. I can never be a part of evil because the bible said YE SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH AND THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE.

Do contact ME with your full contact details as listed below:

FULL NAMES: __________________________________
DELIVERY ADDRESS FOR ATM CARD: __________________
DATE OF BIRTH: __________________
OCCUPATION: __________________
TELEPHONE NUMBER: _____________________
EMAIL ADDRESS: _____________________

Please respect my discretion in this matter! I will send you the reference number, the name and contact information of the officials of the security company were your money is in BENIN when I receive your response. I repeat, please do not expose my person, it is not easy to get employment around here and I cannot contend with these powerful individuals because they can eliminate me.

Copy all response to Mr ISAAC AJAH.( isaacajah12@gmail.com) as I access this e-mail more
often.

God bless you
Mrs Rose Kelly.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam