419 scam: OFFICER DAVID <officedavid77@yahoo.com> Attention Beneficiary

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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:

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:
- "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. )
- "huge sum of money" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "hundred thousand united states dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "00,000.00" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
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.

Fraud email example:

From: OFFICER DAVID <officedavid77@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: OFFICER DAVID <davidjackson501@yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2017 04:39:18 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: Attention Beneficiary

Our Ref: RTB /SNT/STB
To: Beneficiary

This is FBI special agents, David Jackson. I was delegated along side others by the United Nations to come over to Africa to investigate fraudsters who has been in the business of swindling foreigners especially those that has one form of transaction/contracts and another. Please be informed that in the course of our Investigation,we detected that your name and details in our Scammed Monitoring Network. We also found out that you were scammed of a huge sum of money by scammers via Western union and Money Gram. Be informed here that in a bid to alleviate the suffering of scammed victims, the United Nations initiated this compensation program and therefore, you
are entitled to the sum of Two Million Six Hundred Thousand United States Dollars ($2,600,000.00 USD) for being a victim.

Note that the said fund will be transfer to you via the Citibank being the paying bank mandated by the United Nations officials.

However, we have to inform you that we have been able to arrest some of the swindlers who has been in this illicit business and will all be prosecuted accordingly. Be informed as well that we have limited time to stay back here, so we will advice that you urgently respond to this message ASAP. And do not inform any of the people that collected money from you before now about this new development to avoid jeopardizing our investigation. All you need to do is to follow our instruction and receive your compensation accordingly as directed by the United Nations.

We urgently wait to receive your response.

Regards,
DAVID JACKSON
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
INVESTIGATION ON ALL ONLINE WIRE TRANSFER

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam