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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: "HENRY SHAWN" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <infoinfo552@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 19 Sep 2017 06:47:24 -0700
Subject: Your payment allocation

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATIONS (F.B.I)
HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC. MR. ANDREW G. MCCABE
BUILDING 935 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE,
NW WASHINGTON, D.C. 20535-0001
 
Our Ref: CBN /0N8/CONTRACT NO.856.
 
To. Beneficiary,
 
This is HENRY SHAWN FBI DIRECTOR, and we are here in Africa as an
FBI/UNITED STATE delegate that have been delegated to investigate these
fraudsters who are in the business of swindling Foreigners that came for
transaction in Africa.Please be informed that during our investigation,we
found out that there is a total sum amount of money .5 million that has
been assigned in your name as the beneficiary and these fraudsters are busy
swindling you without any hope of receiving your fund. These are the works
of the fraud stars who needed to extort money from you in the name of this
transfer.We have to inform you that we have made some arrested in respect
of this delayed over due fund. I have a very limited time to stay in Africa
here so I advise you urgently respond to this message. These criminals will
be caught unaware and we don't want them to know this new development to
avoid jeopardizing our investigation,you need to conceal anything that has
to do with this exercise to enable us get all the necessa
 
I shall be expecting your swift response as soon as you receive this email
and notify us any message you receive from those fraudsters for us to
investigate on it
 
before you make any contact with them.
 
Regards.
 
 
 
HENRY SHAWN
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATIONS (F.B.I)

Anti-fraud resources: