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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: "Kate Elizabeth Heinzelman" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <cfo887326@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2023 17:08:48 -0700
Subject: Re: DECLARATION ON PAYMENT CANCELLATION

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Langley, McLean, Virginia, United States
Website: www.cia.gov
 
Attention, please!
 
I am compelled to write to you after the board meeting held on March 15th, 2023. Be informed that because some beneficiaries take instructions regarding their overdue inheritance payments for granted, the UN Secretary-General has decided that government policies must prevail. To this effect, the UN/WB Debt Reconciliation and Compensation Commission has entered into an agreement with the following financial monitoring agencies as instructed by the UN Secretary-General:
 
a) INTERNATIONAL MONITORY FUND (IMF)
b) FEDERAL BUREAU INVESTIGATION (FBI)
c) INLAND REVENUE SERVICE (IRS)
d) WORLD BANK ASSISTED PROGRAMMED
e) EUROPEAN FINANCIAL MONITORY AGENCY
 
Once approved payments are not treated and received by the rightful beneficiary, such transactions should be terminated with immediate effect.
 
In this regard, we advise that you kindly help us to get this done as requested so that you will never be contacted for this fund release anymore and also that the US Government and CIA will know that you have informed the UN, WB, and CIA of your decision.
 
Please declare accordingly as stated below and return to this office immediately.
 
==================================================================
            DECLARATION ON PAYMENT CANCELLATION.
==================================================================

I......... [your names] of......... [your address and country] ................ I solemnly and willingly declare that the transaction in my name valued at $10,500,000 that originated from me should be canceled. I would never want to have any involvement that will require me to pay to receive the funds as I see it as a scam, and I never wish to do anything with it since I don't have the money to pay for any fee or charge that is now seen as a scam. 
Please, let the UN/AU/American government take the funds and erase my name from anything related to this fund release because I would never be interested in receiving the funds anymore.
 
I made this declaration in good faith and I will never have any regret in the future coming back for this fund even in the law court. Any further claims from me to have this fund should be taken to national and international security for false claims against me.

With Thanks,

{Your name and signature}
======================================================================

Thanks for your immediate compliance with this notification.
 
Regards,
Kate Elizabeth Heinzelman
General Counsel,
The Central Intelligence Agency.

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