419 scam: "FBI Deputy Director"<paul.m.abbate@fbi.gov.net> Re: Email From The Federal Bureau of Investigation

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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. )
- "clearance certificate" (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. )
- "clearance certificate" (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. )
- "million 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)
- "the diplomat " ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.

Fraud email example:

From: "FBI Deputy Director" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <paul.m.abbate@daum.net>
Date: Sat, 21 May 2022 22:09:19 -0700
Subject: Re: Email From The Federal Bureau of Investigation

Federal Bureau of Investigation
Field Intelligence Groups J. Edgar Hoover Building
935 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington, DC 20535

Attention: Beneficiary,

We sincerely apologize for sending you this sensitive information via e-mail instead of a certified mail, post-mail, phone, or face to face conversation, it's due to the urgency and importance of the security information of our citizens, I am deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Paul M. Abbate, We intercepted and seized a sealed envelope at the John F Kennedy International Airport, New York, NY 11430 coming from a foreign We scanned the sealed envelope's content and found it contained a total sum of 4.1 million dollars value certified payment bond. Also, the sealed envelope had documents with your name on them as the receiver of the package. After questioning the diplomat that accompanied the sealed envelope into the United States, we learned that he was to deliver this sealed envelope to your residence as an inheritance / winning prize payment due / owed to you.

The envelope paperwork lacks the PROOF OF OWNERSHIP CERTIFICATE AND LEGAL DELIVERY PERMIT CLEARANCE CERTIFICATE form. We confiscated the envelope and released the Diplomat. According to section 229 subsection 31 of the International Commerce Regulators Code Enforcement Guidelines, the sealed envelope lacks PROOF OF OWNERSHIP CERTIFICATE AND LEGAL DELIVERY PERMIT CLEARANCE CERTIFICATE. Since the content is valued financial material of such amount from the joint team of the Federal Bureau Of Investigation and Homeland Security, you're to reply for direction on how to procure the envelope and be relieved of the charge of tax evasion which is a jail-able offense under section 12 subsection 441 of the tax code. We will also be asking the IRS to launch an investigation on money laundering if you do not follow our instructions.

You are required to reply within 72 hours at that point I will walk you through the process of clearing and claiming the money. Failure to comply may lead to your arrest, interrogation, and,/or you are being prosecuted in the Court of Law for tax evasion and/or money laundering, also you are instructed to desist from further contact with any bank(s) or person(s) in the United States or the United Kingdom or any part of the world regarding your fund because your payment has been confiscated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation here in the United States.

Yours in Service,
Paul M. Abbate
Deputy Director of the FBI

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam