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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: "Erskine .B. Bowles" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <facebookfeedbackunitd@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 15 Aug 2017 09:59:20 -0400
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS ONCE AGAIN FROM FACEBOOK!!!!

Facebook Corporate Office & Headquarters
1 Hacker Way, Menlo Park, California 94025
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD.
Erskine .B. Bowles
(650) 204-0532
E-mail:  facebookfeedbackunitd@hotmail.com
Date:  1/08/2017
 
CONGRATULATIONS FROM FACEBOOK !!!!!
 
Facebook is one of the largest Social Networking site which valued more than $100 Billion Dollars and also expecting its One Billion Users to come mainly from Mobile devices than desktop Users by this year 2017, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has decided to boost Users and Companies a WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY by organizing a Lottery Program and Initial Public Offer said in a press release. We are pleased to inform you of the result of the NEW YEAR DRAW held on (1st August 2017 ) by Facebook Company in cash Promotion to encourage the usage of Facebook users world wide, your Name and Email was among the 20 Lucky winners who won Us$750,000.00 USD ( Seven Hundred And Fifty Thousand United States Dollars ) each on the Facebook promotion Award Attached to Ticket Number (5647600545189) Ref No (2551256002/244) Serial Number (55643451907) The online draw was Conducted by a random selection of email and you were picked by an Advanced automated random computer sear ch from the Facebook in o
 
FULL NAME : .....................
FULL CONTACT ADDRESS : .....................
MOBILE PHONE NUMBER : .....................
OCCUPATION : .....................
MARITAL STATUS AND AGE : .....................
NATIONALITY / COUNTRY : .....................
TICKET NUMBER : .....................
REF NUMBER : .....................
SERIAL NUMBER : .....................
YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS : .....................
 
To avoid unnecessary delays and complications please remember to quote your Ticket, Reference and Batch Numbers in all correspondences. Furthermore, if there is any change in email address please contact us on time. If you are not interested please do not bother to reply and CONGRATULATIONS ONCE AGAIN FROM FACEBOOK!
 
Thanks,
Erskine Bowles.
Promo Coordinator.
FACEBOOK (c) 2017

Anti-fraud resources: