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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: "Mike Ugo" <mikeugo20@msn.com>
Reply-To: mikeugo2012@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Sun, 16 Oct 2005 17:07:03 +0000
Subject: GOOD RELATIONSHIP

FROM THE DESKTOP OF DR MIKE UGOCHUKWU
BRANCH MANAGER Of UNION BANK
No12 VICTORIA ISLAND LAGOS NIGERIA
EMAIL: 
mikeugo2012@yahoo.com.hk

    REQUEST FOR URGENT BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP.

FIRST I MUST SOLICIT YOUR CONFIDENCE IN THIS TRANSACTION, THIS IS BY VIRTUE OF IT'S BEING VERY CONFIDENTIAL.I AM DR MIKE UGOCHUKWU, A MANAGER WITH THE UNION BANK OF NIGERIA (U.B.N) PLC LAGOS.

I CAME TO KNOW OF YOU IN MY PRIVATE SEARCH FOR A RELIABLE AND REPUTABLE PERSON TO HANDLE THIS CONFIDENTIAL, TRANSACTION WHICH INVOLVES THE TRANSFER OF A HUGE SUM OF MONEY TO A FOREIGN BANK ACCOUNT REQUIRING MAXIMUM CONFIDENCE.THE PROPOSITION AN AMERICAN, LATE ENGINEER KELVIN MICHAEL, AN OIL MERCHANT/CONTRACTOR WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA, UNTIL HIS DEATH THREE YEARS AGO IN A GHASTLY MOTOR ACCIDENT, BANKED WITH US HERE AT UNION BANK OF NIGERIA PLC, LAGOS, AND HAD A CLOSING BALANCE OF US$33.725M (THIRTY THREE MILLION, SEVEN HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS) WHICH THE BANK NOW UNQUESTIONABLY EXPECTS TO BE CLAIMED BY KELVIN'S NEXT OF-KIN OR ALTERNATIVELY BE DONATED TO A DISCREDITED TRUST FUND FOR ARMS AND AMMUNITION AT A MILITARY WAR COLLEGE HERE IN NIGERIA.

FERVENT EFFORTS BEING MADE BY THE UNION BANK OF NIGERIA PLC TO GET IN TOUCH WITH ANY OF THE MICHAEL'S FAMILY HAS PROVED ABORTIVE. IT IS BECAUSE OF THE PERCEIVED POSSIBILITY OF NOT BEING ABLE TO LOCATE LATE ENGINEER MICHAEL'S NEXT-OF-KIN (HE HAD NO WIFE OR CHILDREN) THAT THE MANAGEMENT UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF OUR CHAIRMAN AND MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, RETIRED MAJOR GEN. KALU IKE KALU, THAT AN ARRANGEMENT BE MADE FOR THE FUNDS TO BE DECLARED  "UNCLAIMED" AND SUBSEQUENTLY BE DONATED TO THE TRUST FUND FOR ARMS AND AMMUNITION TO FURTHER ENHANCE THE CAUSE OF WAR IN AFRICA AND THE WORLD IN GENERAL.IN ORDER TO AVERT THIS NEGATIVE DEVELOPMENT, SOME OF MY TRUSTED COLLEAGUES AND I NOW SEEK YOUR PERMISSION TO HAVE YOU STAND AS NEXT-OF-KIN TO LATE ENGINEER MICHAEL'S SO THAT THE FUNDS USD$33.725M WOULD BE RELEASED AND PAID INTO YOUR BANK ACCOUNT AS THE NEXT-OF-KIN.ALL DOCUMENTS AND PROOFS TO ENABLE YOU GET THIS FUND WILL BE CAREFULLY WORKED OUT AND MORE SO WE ARE ASSURING YOU OF A HUNDRED PERCENT RISK-FREE INVOLVEMENT. YOU WILL GET A NEGOTIABLE PERCENTAGE OF THIS MONEY FOR ASSISTING US IN THIS DEAL. WE SHALL ALSO MAP OUT A PERCENTAGE OF THIS MONEY TO TAKE CARE OF INCIDENTAL EXPENSES THAT MAY ARISE IN THE COURSE OF THIS TRANSACTION.IF THIS PROPOSAL IS OKAY BY YOU AND ASSURE US THAT YOU WILL NOT TAKE UNDUE ADVANTAGE OF THE TRUST WE HOPE TO BESTOW ON YOU AND YOUR COMPANY, THEN KINDLY GET TO ME IMMEDIATELY VIA E-MAIL, FURNISHING ME WITH YOUR CONFIDENTIAL TELEPHONE, FAX NUMBER AND EXCLUSIVE   BANKING COORDINATES SO THAT I CAN USE THESE INFORMATION TO APPLY FOR THE RELEASE AND SUBSEQUENT

 TRANSFER OF THE FUNDS IN YOUR FAVOUR.BUT IF YOU ARE NOT INTERESTED PLEASE KEEP I CONFIDENTIAL.THANK YOU IN ANTICIPATION OF YOUR COOPERATION.

 YOURS SINCERELY,

 DR MIKE UGOCHUKWU

 

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