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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: "Michael Smith."<varga@gline.hu>
Reply-To: officefloffice1@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 09 Feb 2022 02:21:46 -0800
Subject: YOUR FUND HAS BEEN RELASED

Department of Financial Services.
Bureau of Unclaimed Property.
200 East Gaines Street.
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0358
United States of America.

Good Day,

My Name is Michael Smith and I work for the Department of Financial Services Bureau of Unclaimed Property REGULATIONS here In Florida. I found out that you have an unclaimed sum of money that was supposed to be remitted to you has showed up at my office, maybe due to some unforeseen circumstance that didn't allow you to finish your transactions home or abroad, so I took it upon myself to get in touch with you, before it will be forfeited as you still have the chance to claim yours.

The National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA) facilitates collaboration among administrators in their efforts to reunite unclaimed property with the rightful owner. As the foremost authority on unclaimed property, NAUPA in alliance with the (UN) United Nations will lead a coalition of administrators to reunite all recovered unclaimed funds and property with the rightful owners.

Currently, States, Federal agencies and other organizations collectively hold more than $58 Billion Dollars in unclaimed cash and benefits, which come from a variety of sources, including abandoned bank accounts and stock holdings, unclaimed life insurance payouts and forgotten pension benefits, seizures for third party benefit, legal financial transactions, like lotto winnings, Inheritance claims that was abandon by individuals over skepticism etc. It was however ascertained that you were supposed to receive a sum of $10.5 Million Dollars which is still unclaimed till date, kindly email this office for claims:


Upon your response, we shall direct you on how to claim your fund before it’s marked unclaimed.

Please reconfirm your details for cross-examination: Full Name.... Current Residential Address... Direct phone Number ... Scan copy of any identification.

NOTE: If you received this message in your SPAM/BULK folder, it is because of the restrictions imposed by your Mail/Internet Service Provider, we urge you to treat it genuinely.



Regards,

Michael Smith.
Director of Unclaimed Property/Fund.

Anti-fraud resources: