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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr Johnson Kofi" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <xlem4@dailycarnage.com>
Date: Mon, 5 Apr 2010 21:41:20 +0100
Subject: Attention: Business Proporsal In Regards.

From:Mr Johnson Kofi
The Manager International
Commercial Bank Ghana
First Light Branch
Accra, Ghana.

Attn: Sir/Madam,

First I must solicit your confidence in this transaction, this is by virtue of its nature as being utterly Confidential and top secret. Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make any one apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that this is real and genuine.

My name is Mr Johnson Kofi. I am the manager of the international commercial bank Ghana, first light branch. I am a Ghanaian married with two kids.
I am writing to solicit your assistance in the transfer of us$2.500.000.00.

This fund is the excess of what my branch in which I am the manager made as profit during the last year. I have already submitted an approved end of the year report for the year 2009 to my head office here in Accra and they will never know of this excess.

I have since then, placed this amount of us$2.500.000.00 on a suspense account without a beneficiary.
As an officer of the bank, I cannot be directly connected to this money thus I am impelled to request for your assistance to receive this money into your bank account.
I intend to part 30% of this fund to you while 70% shall be for me. I do need to stress that there are practically no risk involved in this. Its going to be a bank-to-bank transfer. All I need from you is to stand as the original depositor of this fund.

If you accept this offer, I will appreciate your timely response.

With Regards,
Mr Johnson Kofi.

Anti-fraud resources: