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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:

Fraud email example:

From: "Ms. Heidi Mendoza" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <payment.office52@yahoo.bg>
Date: Wed, 26 Jul 2017 05:22:40 -0700
Subject: Re: Good News

From: Ms. Heidi Mendoza
Under-Secretary-General for oversight services

Attention: Beneficiary

I am Ms. Heidi Mendoza of the Philippines, sworn in as Under-Secretary-General for oversight services (OIOS) on 14 December 2015 for a five-year non-renewable term.As an Internationally respected auditor and anti-corruption advocate, I have over 20 years of service in government particularly in the field of audit, investigation, fraud examination, anti-corruption and integrity advocacy. Before joining the United Nations, I served as Commissioner at the Commission on Audit, Government of Philippines (from 2011). As Commissioner, I headed the Foreign Based Embassies and International Audit Committee and led the successful bid of the Philippine Commission on Audit as external Auditor of ILO in 2015. In the same year, I was recognized as one of the eight remarkable government auditors (The Art of Audit, published in Netherlands) and Who's Who in the World in the field of Audit.


Due to my vast experience in auditing, investigation, fraud examination and anti-corruption, I was mandated by my current boss, the UN Secretary General (António Guterres) to come to Nigeria and investigate fraud reported activities and know why the federal government of Nigeria has refused to pay all beneficiaries and fund inheritors due to incessant complaints by foreign contractors/fund inheritors. The United Nations is angry with the government of Muhammadu Buhari over series of rate of UNPAID contract payments and Fraud/Scam activities in Nigeria and I have been assigned to tackle this ugly issue immediately before it spreads it’s tentacles to an uncontrollable level.


Since my arrival, I have met with the Vice President of Nigeria (Professor Yemi Osubanjo) due to the distorting health of President Muhammadu Buhari, The Finance Minister of Nigeria, The Paymaster General of Nigeria, the Accountant-General of the Federation of Nigeria and The Auditor-General of the Federation of Nigeria and they have all endorsed the immediate release and payment of three million, five hundred thousand united states dollars (3.5MUSD) each to all affected beneficiaries which you are among.


I have sent my report to our headquarters in New York and the United Nations has mandated the Federal Government of Nigeria to effect payments to all approved beneficiaries without any further delay.

Do urgently re-confirm your full names and address for confirmation purpose. I have a very limited time to stay in Nigeria and would like you to reply urgently to this message if you are sure that you are a victim and the true owner of this email address.

Thanks for your anticipated understanding and immediate compliance to this notification.

Yours in service,
Ms. Heidi Mendoza
Under-Secretary-General for oversight services

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