419 scam: "Charles W. Scharf" <noidbergen82@gmail.com> This is Susan Flint Director ATM Payment Department HSBC

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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:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
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:
- "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
- "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 fee" (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. )
- "certificate fee" (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. )
- "cost of transfer" (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. )
- "inheritance funds" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "huge amount of money" (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)
- "00,000.00" (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.
This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- claimingcenter@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Charles W. Scharf" <noidbergen82@gmail.com>
Reply-To: wbank926@yahoo.com
Date: Fri, 24 Jun 2022 21:02:39 +0100
Subject: This is Susan Flint Director ATM Payment Department HSBC - BANK of
London UK.

Wells Fargo Bank Headquarters
Address: 420 Montgomery St San Francisco, CA 94104, USA
e-Mail: claimingcenter@yahoo.com

Dear Sir/Madam

The Board of Governors of the Wells Fargo Bank wishes to official
inform you today April. 24th 2022 that your outstanding Inheritance
funds valued a total sum of $1,800,000.00 USD which was officially
handed over to the Wells Fargo Bank San Francisco, CA 94104, USA in
your name all legal documents been approved and Signed by the United
States Department of State in the present of the Wells Fargo Bank
attorney following the payment approval signed by the President pro
tempore of the Senate is Mr. Patrick Leahy

Therefore, through the instructions from the above-mentioned
authorities, we have been authorized to transfer your $1,800,000.00
USD to your bank account. Your $1,800,000.00 USD transfer Permit
letter has been forwarded to the Vice President of the United States
of America Ms. Kamala Harris in Washington DC for final endorsement
and this is because to transfer such a huge amount of money we really
have to notify every office that is concerned just to avoid any
problem when transferring the money into your bank account and we have
successfully obtained some of the Fund Payment Approval Papers needed.

The remaining files needed for your fund's transmission from the Wells
Fargo Bank to your Bank account must be legally secured and mailed to
you for proofs and file keeping before we can proceed to the
remittance stage and we are sending our delegates to proceed with
securing the remaining needed documents in your name with immediate effect.

Finally, you have been mandated to pay a total sum of $100 USD as the
mandatory endorsement fee which includes, Local and Federal Taxes and
Cost of Transfer as requested by the Department of State in accordance
with the stipulations and foreign transfer act which was also
approvedby the Vice President of the United States Ms. Kamala Harris

We are waiting for your immediate response with the payment
information to enable us to proceed with the transfer of
your$1,800,000.00 USD as we were directed by the mentioned
authorities.

NOTE:

No IMF Clearance fee
No Security Clearance
No Anti Money Laundering Certificate fee

Thank you for your understanding. You must remember that 24hours after
you have paid the required $100 we will transfer your fund to you
which will be followed by mailing all your funds back up documentation
to you. We allow payment via iTunes Gift Card, Steam Gift Card or
BTC/Bitcoin. These gift cards will be handed over to our marketing
department where it will be converted into cash

PLEASE HERE IS THE EMAIL FOR YOU TO REPLY BACK TO US:
claimingcenter@yahoo.com SMS: +1 404 410 5186

I look forward to hearing from you

Yours faithfully
Mr. Charles W. Scharf
President of Wells Fargo

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam