Top 10 warning signs of a 419 or Nigerian Advanced-Fee Fraud Scam email
1. A promise to share or transfer millions of dollars to you for your help or participation. (Out of 5 billion people in the world you were singled out as this fortunate person, lucky you).
2. The e-mail or correspondence is marked “urgent,” “top secret” or “highly confidential” and demands you act immediately. (Time is commonly of the essence).
3. The sender claims to be an exiled Dignitary, Cabinet Member, General, CEO, CFO, lawyer, doctor or the heir of some other important person or top official to gain your confidence. (The Grifter usually uses a Hotmail, Yahoo, Netscape, Caramail or other such free and anonymous e-mail service to send you the message – not very Regal at all).
4. Claims to have obtained your e-mail address “during a personal research on the Internet” or from an unidentified “friend who was once on diplomatic mission.” (Yeah, we all know one of these individuals).
5. The proposal contains a seemingly unlikely situation, i.e. overpaid millions on a contract, royal money or assets frozen by a foreign government, an inheritence, or money, gold or diamonds that need to immediately be transfered or be lost forever.
6. Claims to have smuggled the funds, jewels or precious metals out of their native country in a “diplomatic package” or “consignment” unbeknownst to their unstable or corrupt government.
7. Seeks an “honest foreign partner” to help with them with their crisis situation. (As if none exist or can be found in their own country).
8. States they are working with an unidentfied “Security Company” or the “Central Bank of Nigeria” (who is a much a victim of the scam as the Mark, having received countless numbers of complaints).
9. Requests personal information from you, i.e. your full name, bank account information and routing numbers, home or business telephone and facsimile numbers, or a copy of your letterhead.
10. The solicitation or contact requires you to advance money “up front” to secure your participation in the transaction. (Hence, its nickname of “Advanced-Fee Fraud”).
Let common sense be your guide! If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is!
[This page courtesy of our friends at Next Web Security.]
on 
on 
on
Ron Carlson
// Sep 19, 2011 at 11:37 pm
I think I have been scammed by a barrister named Denis Wilfred of London England and a place called The Union Home Security Vaults of Yorkshire England, I have tried to find this place on line but I can not find anything and because this has been so convincing it is almost going on 3 years following this scam if it is all in the name of love and caring. If someone out there knows of a place called the British Foreign Remittance company or the Union Home Security Vaults of Yorkshire England could you please let me know if these organizations really exist. You have my email above can someone please help me. I got so emotionally involved then financially involved it has become to late to stop at this point in time. Please I am begging some one tell me if these places do exist.
abby
// Dec 6, 2011 at 5:16 pm
Hi how did that person scammed u?
i think he said he loved u rite?
also he made u pay lots of monies
best you get to confirm if there is such a barister named in yr document
is person who cheated u Denis WIlfred dear?
most likely its fictitious name
did he give u his phone no?
check if phone no. is registered and even if it were it would have been a stolen or fake id used to register phone no.
js say you wil report to police ok
tc pl keep in touch with police alws so they can trap these evil men!
dont b afraid
we can beat them at thier heinous game
by way are you a woman??
take care of ur self dear
dt trust people easily!
Ron Carlson
// Dec 27, 2011 at 10:26 pm
Dear abby thank you for your imput in this matter and I have the barristers phone number and I have his credentials showing he is a barrister in the court of england or legal practicioner Number is +447063000186 and in this case he has traveled to Dublin to get the funds released severl times and I hate to admit that i have surcum to sendning several thousand dollars in this matter and in ever instance I have received receipts from the Union Home security vaults of Yorkshire England for every dime I have spent. She claims to have bleeding ulcer and I have seen the medical report stating that she really does. I also have pictures of her from her modeling career. I also checked to see if this was really her and she is on not face book but one of the first sites to come out google Cindy Scoggins and see what you get and get back to me asap. Again thank you for your imput in this matter and if you can be of any more help please help me because this is still going on for over 3 years now.
Brian
// Dec 28, 2011 at 4:24 am
Ron:
If you don’t realize it you are being scammed. If you’ve been sending them any money, stop. You won’t get anything back for it. The Nigerian scammers are good at producing fake credentials that may look good, but aren’t real. If you’ve been calling them via a number that starts with 44-70 then that’s a number that forwards from the UK to anywhere in the world … and in the cases I’ve seen these calls usually end up in Nigeria.
Brian Durham – ScamOfTheDay.com Administrator
Jo
// Jan 17, 2012 at 7:13 pm
I have gotten emails from them too ,I don’t think they are ligit . DELETE THEM
Brian
// Sep 20, 2011 at 4:17 am
This sounds like a classic scam to me. Since you’re here in the states, sounds like it’s time for you to contact the FBI at ic3.gov.
And stop sending them money – you won’t get anything back for it.
Tek Raj Dhiktt
// Sep 23, 2011 at 12:56 am
how is possible this 2days ago come my email id GAZETA NATIONAL LOTTERY AWARD 2011. asked for YOUR EMAIL (email removed) ID HAS WON 500,000.00 Pounds from GAZETA NATIONAL LOTTERY AWARD ON OUR 2011 CHARITY BONANZA.please everybody help me is possible my email is wine i am so confuse and i am not conform please i wait your advice
Brian
// Sep 23, 2011 at 1:18 am
@Tek Raj Dhiktt – it is just a scam. It is not real. You will not get your ‘prize.’ Just delete the email or text message.
Lori ford
// Oct 15, 2011 at 12:49 pm
This is a letter i received after talking to this man for 2wks. He has never asked for money or even made hints about anything like this…….but he is having a hard time getting his papers processed so he can leave t
Hello Madam,
I’m Sgt. James O’Connor, Human Resources Officer of the Transit Grant Department of the United Nations, this is to inform you that the leave request concerning Dr Joseph Owell the present vice team commandant of the Orthopaedic Medical crew with contract no UN/ITA/L52 was received via e-mail and a confirmation telefax from the camp commandant Misurata Tripoli Libya and the request has been forwarded to the Director of Personnel D.O.D for processing authorization.
This leave and liberty pass processing shall officially start as soon as i get the processing authorization from the Director of Personnel D.O.D due to the Leave and Liberty pass policy. I’ll advice you on the next step of the processing.
Kind Regards,
TOWARDS A BETTER UNITED NATIONS .
Transit Grant Department of the United Nations ,
Sgt James O’Connor,
– Tell Number- 1-410-888-7125
Fax Number-1-917-591-3010
—
WE THE PEOPLES……A STRONGER UN FOR BETTER WORLD
he UN, he is retiring and will come home to the states. he asked if he could use my name as his fiance and say we are planning to get married as a way to get things processed more quickly. Here is the letter, what do you think? Thank you sooo much, Lori
Brian
// Oct 15, 2011 at 4:16 pm
Scam, unfortunately Lori… if you agree to be his ‘fiancee’ you will
be taken advantage of. Identity theft or he’ll ask you for money. You
are being suckered in – don’t fall for it. This is a classic romance
con.
If I could see the ‘headers’ on one of his emails to you I could tell
you where he really is.
Brian
// Oct 19, 2011 at 6:17 pm
Lori – I sent an email to him; I looked at the technical information in the email headers in his reply and… he’s in Nigeria. Nigeria is a big scammer haven, so I will say that he’s a scammer. Please do not proceed as you will be taken advantage of.
Brian
Lori
// Oct 24, 2011 at 11:42 pm
Hi Brian, again, thank you so much for your help and all that you do to help others.
Can you explain the phone numbers? They were all numbers that claim to be (reverse lookup) land lines for companies I had not heard of before. when i looked them up they are phone carriers for business phones. How are they able to get these numbers if they are in Nigeria? Very curious about this……but it may help others to always do the reverse look up on any of the phone numbers they are given. Like with this situation…….why would the United Nations have an unpublished number….? Thanks, Lori
Brian
// Oct 25, 2011 at 6:18 pm
Lori – he was using a MagicJack device for his phone number. I know this because when I called him it gave a message that essentially said ‘the magicjack customer you are calling is not available – please leave a message’ With that he could be anywhere in the world where he had an internet connection and a telephone to plug into the magicjack device. To figure out where he really was I sent him an email – in his email headers in his reply he had the IP address 41.206.12.62 which is in the city of Lagos in Nigeria. That’s a scammer hotbed.
Alex // Oct 31, 2011 at 12:10 pm
Brian, he recibido correos de un hombre llamadao Peter Fredrik, su correo es peterfredrik@hotmail.co.uk, dice vivir en Reino unido, no se como obtuvo mi dirección, no sabe explicarlo. Me ha enviado correos, me ha dicho que viajaría a Africa, ahora mismo me ha informado que se encuentra en Nigeria, Benin, y que sus negocios han salido mal y quiere ayuda, yo logicamente no estoy dispuesta, no lo haré. He bloqueado su dirección, me sigue enviando correos dice que se mataría si no lo ayudo!?. Pues lo comparto con ustedes porque se que es un estafador, y para que otras personas lo tengan presente. Según dice él, no es estafador y alguien ha puesto sus fotos en algún sitio de estafas, que es donde yo investigue, pues todo parecía demasiado mágico para ser verdad. Saludos. Por favor hagan algo para deterner a esta gente que se mete en la privacidad y en la vida de otras personas para perjudicar!!!
intan
// Feb 19, 2012 at 12:30 am
Hello, I also got the same email as you madam rose from Sankoh. he asked me to claim the legacy of her husband. so I searched his name on the web. He was one of the scammer. very disgusting.
Les
// Mar 2, 2012 at 10:15 am
hey, I just recieved a e-mail from the F.B.I. signed by Mark W. Marek, Assistant Director in Charge, stating i had won the U.K. Megan Millions and the money has been cleared by the Anti-Terrorist and International Fraud Division. They want me to send 399.99 for cost of EFT transfer & Conversion Fee. I’m pretty sure this is a scam, Can anyone shed some light on this.
Brian
// Mar 2, 2012 at 10:17 am
Just delete it – it’s a typical advance-fee scam.
rosa ma virrueta
// Mar 15, 2012 at 10:29 am
HOLA YO RECIBI UNA NOTIFICACION DE UNA HERENCIA,Y LA VERDAD NO SE SI SEA SIERTO ES UNA MUSULMA,,Y DICE QUE BA A MORIR,Y QUE YO SOY HEREDERA,Y QUE ES MUY RICA Y NO TIENE HIJOS Y QUE NECESITA DEJARLO A ALGUIEN QUE AGA BUEN USO DEL DINERO Y O QUE TENGA MUCHAS NECESIDADES,,YO SOY UNA DE ESAS,PERO LA VERDAD NO CRE.TENGO COMO QUE MIEDO X ESO,QUE ME MANDO YA BAN 2 VECES QUE ME LO MANDA ESTE MENSAJE..AYUDENME ELLA SE LLAMA FATIMAH,BADER,MAHAMAT..SI ALGUIEN HA RECIBIDO OTRO MENSAJE X FAVOR AVISENME SI GRASIAS
Brian
// Mar 15, 2012 at 10:54 am
It’s a scam like all the others.
Lauren // Apr 4, 2012 at 3:15 am
Scammers are not always after your money directly. One good scam seeks your bank account or other infomations by sending you some offical looking email from what they say is the I.R.S. In this email they say you have “overpayed” last years taxes and you are getting a small refund check. You just fill out the attached online form and send it back to them and they will send you this small ammout owed to you. Of course the I.R.S. will NEVER contact you online and this is just a fishing scam to steal your information so they can use this to do other dishonest things.