419 scam: "CITIGROUP"<deborah@citigroup.com> Your pending transfer alert

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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:
- "money laundering" ("anti-terrorist", "anti-money laundering" or "drug-free" certificates are a common way for criminals in fake lottery scams and other Advance Fee scams to get you to send money to them. There are no such certificates in the real banking world. )
- ",500,000" (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.

Fraud email example:

From: "CITIGROUP" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <deborah.citigroup@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 21 Jan 2020 23:25:02 -0800
Subject: Your pending transfer alert

Citibank Group
201 S Biscayne Blvd #100,
Miami, FL 33131,
United States.

Dear Beficiary,

This is to notify you about the credit alert valued $10,500,000 to account# 9343262302 from the Bank of London. The said amount is under review before final crediting into your account.

As you are aware, The Bank Secrecy Act of 1970 (or BSA, or otherwise known as the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act) requires financial institutions to assist the Egyptian government agencies to detect and prevent money laundering. Specifically, the act requires financial institutions to keep records of cash purchases of negotiable instruments, and file reports of cash purchases of these negotiable instruments of more than $10,000 (daily aggregate amount), and to report suspicious activity that might signify money laundering, tax evasion, or other criminal activities.

Having said this, we have every reason to believe that you are involve into money laundering or criminal activities due to the amount transferred to your account. I am entitled to report this transaction to the U.S Government. However, i will not do that because from your record there is no traces of money laundering or criminal activities. I can only ask you to provide the fund origin certificate before the final crediting into your account.

I want to help you if you are willing to help yourself and nobody must know about my involvement by trying to assist you. Secondly, you must not ask anybody from your branch or notify anyone about this until the fund gets to your account. If you try to play smart by asking questions or notifying anyone, i will have no option than to report the transaction to the U.S Government and i believe you know the consequences.

All you have to do is to provide me with the fund origin certificate immediately and your fund will be credited to your account without questioning by any authority and I will not report the transaction to the Government.

Your immediate co-operation is highly recommended.

Sincerely,
Deborah C. Wright
International Deposit Management Center.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam