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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: "UNCLAIMED AND ABANDONED FUNDS PAYMENT" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <paymentcenter@yahisahi.com>
Date: Sat, 16 Jan 2021 13:17:07 -0800
Subject: RE; YOUR UNCLAIMED PAYMENT IS READY - Reply Asap ///

Attention:

Following the resolution by the various Government authorities, commercial banks, investment banks, finance companies, various international airport vault facilities in USA, United Kingdom, Europe, Asia and Africa to release and pay all funds declared as abandoned, unclaimed and unpaid, your name is confirmed as one of the beneficiaries whose fund is among the funds approved and ready for payment. Your details are required to be reconfirmed to ensure correctness and avoid error. You are required to send us your details; full names, contact shipment address details and direct personal phone number where your payment shall be delivered to you either as Cash Payment or via Prepaid Debit Card or cashier check as you may indicate which payment option you prefer. Send us the above details Asap. As soon as we get your details and verified to be correct, we shall inform you of the fund amount approved in your name for payment to you.

These payments was approved after proper and several investigations and research at the database of wire transfer departments of various commercial bank, investment banks, private banks, airport security vault facilities at the various airports, Western Union Money Transfer, RIA Financial and Money Gram Office which confirmed your name and details as contained in the database as among those that have sent money for various charges in the process of trying to receive your funds. Further investigation revealed and linked your name to this particular fund which also proves that you have truly been swindled by those unscrupulous persons by sending money to them through bank wire transfers, Western Union/Money Gram in the course of your trying to get one fund payment or the other which have proved abortive as all your efforts failed.

In this regard a meeting was held between the United States Treasury, the Committee Members of Covid-19 Financial Payments as set up by the Treasury, the Federal Reserve Bank, Commercial, Private and Investment Banks, Western Union, Money Gram, The FBI alongside with the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to ensure all such existing funds that are unpaid and abandoned are quickly processed and released the various respective beneficiaries during this period to assist beneficiaries during this period. These unpaid funds amounts to multi billion US dollars which is awaiting payment to various beneficiaries. The United States Department of the Treasury has set aside these funds as sort of compensation payment to the numerous beneficiaries including your name to receive these payments.
This transaction would be fully handled and supervised by the FBI till all beneficiaries have successfully received their payments. We have submitted your details to them so that your funds can be delivered to you and you are therefore required to send your details for your payment.

Send your details for quick reconfirmation and shipment of your payment to you.

Send your details to: payments@covid19paymentscommittee.com

We await your urgent reply.

Yours

Christopher Armstrong
Chair, Covid-19 Financial Payments Committee
Unclaimed Funds Payment Committee
payments@covid19paymentscommittee.com

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