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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: WelIs Fargo <matt@thecadgroup.com>
Date: Sat, 26 Dec 2020 03:05:25 +0000
Subject: notification alert

Dear Customer,
You have successfully changed your Wells Fargo email address. If you did not initiate this change, please login and check immediately at wellsfargo.com, or visit any Wells Fargo branch.

Remember, wells fargo Online and Mobile Banking are safe and convenient ways to:

View account balances and transactions

Pay your bills
Transfer money
We appreciate your business and are committed to helping you reach your financial goals. Visit wellsfargo.com, or stop by your local branch to learn more about our helpful products and services.

Thank you for banking with Wells Fargo

Sincerely,
Wells Fargo Customer Care

Anti-fraud resources: