419 scam: "FinCEN USA"<demo@centrilinc.com> ATTN: RECIPIENT

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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:
- "the required fees" (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. )
- "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. )
- "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
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 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.
- officefbiusax@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "FinCEN USA" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <keysskb@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 5 Jul 2017 13:18:52 -0700
Subject: ATTN: RECIPIENT

FINANCIAL CRIMES ENFORCEMENT NETWORK (FINCEN)

United States Department of the Treasury

1120 Connecticut Ave., NW. Network (FinCEN). Washington, DC USA

Read about us through the URL: (http://www.fincen.gov/

REF: US/28028/8A28/17

ATTN: RECIPIENT

This is to officially inform you that it has come to our notice and we

have thoroughly completed an investigation with the help of our

Intelligence Monitoring Network System that you legally approved to

Received a valued amount of funds to credit instruction from the federal

government of Nigeria

Normally, it will take up to 10 business days for an International

cheque,To be cashed by your local banks. We have successfully notified

this Bank on your behalf that funds are to be drawn from a registered bank

Within the United States of America so as to enable you cash the cheque

instantly without any delay, henceforth the stated amount of $12.5M USD

Has been deposited with BANK OF EAST ASIA USA

We have completed this investigation and you are hereby approved to

Receive your fund as we have verified the entire transaction to be

Safe and 100% risk free, due to the fact that the funds have been

Deposited at BANK OF EAST ASIA USA you will be required to settle the

Following bills directly to our Agent in-charge of this Transaction,

According to our discoveries, you were required to pay for The following -

Deposit Fee (Fee paid by the bank for the deposit into an American Bank

which is - BANK OF EAST ASIA USA)Cashier cheque Conversion Fee (Fee for

converting the Wire Transfer

Payment into a Certified Cashier cheque)

The total amount for everything is $420.00 (Four Hundred and twenty USD.)

We have tried our possible best to indicate that this $420.00 should be

Deducted from your fund but we found out that the funds have

Already been deposited at BANK OF EAST ASIA USA and cannot be accessed by

anyone except the legal owner (you), therefore you will be

Required to pay the required fees to the Agent in-charge of this

transaction via Western Union Money Transfer Or Money Gram.

In order to proceed with this transaction, you will be required to contact

our NIGERIA FBI agent in-charge (HENRY SHAWN) via e-mail. Kindly look below

to find appropriate contact information:

CONTACT AGENT NAME: HENRY SHAWN

E-MAIL ADDRESS: officefbiusax@gmail.com

You will also be required to request Western Union details on how to send

the required $200.00 in order to immediately release your fund of $12.5M

USD via Certified Cashier's cheque drawn from BANK OF EAST ASIA USA, and

also include the following Fund Reference Identification:

EA2948-910.

This letter will serve as proof that the FINANCIAL CRIMES ENFORCEMENT

NETWORK (FINCEN) is authorizing you to pay the required $200.00 ONLY to

our AGENT IN NIGERIA AGENT HENRY SHAWN via information in which he shall

send to you, if you do not receive your FUND of $12.5M we shall be held

responsible for the loss and this shall invite a penalty, which will be

made PAYABLE ONLY to you

Expecting your prompt response

Yours in service

Robert W. Werner, Director

FinCEN Director

Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN)

U.S.A

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam