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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: ugo_ben101@yahoo.co.in
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2006 15:47:00 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: ATTENTIONS?

------------------------------------------------
Search the web by email! mailto:www@web2mail.com
adding your search to the subject line like this:
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------------------------------------------------



WEMA BANK PLC,



LAGOS NIGERING



Direct.



DEAR SIR/Ma,





STRICTLY A PRIVATE BUSINESS PROPOSAL.







I AM BARRISTER UGO BEN, THE MANAGER, BILLS AND EXCHANGE AT THE FOREIGN

REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT OF THE WEMA BANK PLC I AM WRITING THIS LETTER TO

ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND COOPERATION TO CARRY OUT THIS BUSINESS

OPPORTUNITY IN



MY DEPARTMENT.





WE DISCOVERED AN ABANDONED SUM OF $15,000,000.00 (FIFTEEN MILLION



UNITED STATES DOLLARS ONLY) IN AN ACCOUNT THAT BELONGS TO ONE OF OUR

FOREIGN CUSTOMERS WHO DIED ALONG WITH HIS ENTIRE FAMILY OF A WIFE AND TWO

CHILDREN IN NOVEMBER! 1997 IN A CAR ACCIDENT ALONG LAGOS\SHAGAMU

EXPRESS. SINCE WE HEARD OF HIS DEATH, WE HAVE BEEN EXPECTING HIS NEXT-OF-KIN

TO COME OVER AND PUT CLAIMS FOR HIS MONEY AS THE HEIR,BECAUSE WE CANNOT

RELEASE THE FUND FROM HIS ACCOUNT UNLESS SOMEONE APPLIES FOR CLAIM AS

THE NEXT-OF-KIN TO THE DECEASED AS INDICATED IN OUR BANKING GUIDELINES.





UNFORTUNATELY, NEITHER THEIR FAMILY MEMBER NOR DISTANT RELATIVE HAS



EVER APPEARED TO CLAIM THE SAID FUND.





UPON THIS DISCOVERY,I SOLICIT TO MAKE BUSINESS WITH YOU SO THAT THE



BANK WILL RELEASE THE TOTAL AMOUNT INTO YOUR ACCOUNT AS THE HEIR OF THE



FUND SINCE NO ONE CAME FOR IT OR DISCOVERED HE MAINTAINED ACCOUNT WITH



OUR BANK, OTHERWISE THE FUND WILL BE RETURNED TO THE BANKS TREASURY AS



UNCLAIMED FUND.





ON SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSSION OF THE DEAL OUR RATIO OF SHARING WILL B! E AS



STATED THUS;



35 % FOR YOU AS FOREIGN PARTNER,



60 % FOR US THE OFFICIALS IN MY DEPARTMENT AND



5% FOR THE SETTLEMENT OF ALL LOCAL AND FOREIGN



EXPENCES INCURRED BY ME AND YOU DURING THE COURSE OF THIS BUSINESS.



UPON THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THIS TRANSFER, I WILL COME TO YOUR



COUNTRY AND MIND MY SHARE. FROM MY 60 % I INTEND TO IMPORT AGRICULTURAL



MACHINERIES INTO MY COUNTRY AS A WAY OF RECYCLING THE FUND.





TO COMMENCE THIS TRANSACTION, I REQUIRE YOU TO IMMEDIATELY INDICATE



YOUR INTEREST BY A RETURN E-MAIL AND ENCLOSE YOUR PRIVATE CONTACT



TELEPHONE NUMBER, FAX NUMBER FULL NAME AND ADDRESS AND YOUR DESIGNATED

BANK



COORDINATES TO ENABLE ME FILE LETTER OF CLAIM TO THE APPROPRIATE



DEPARTMENTS FOR NECESSARY APPROVALS BEFORE THE TRANSFER CAN BE MADE.





NOTE ALSO, THIS TRANSACTIO! N MUST BE KEPT STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL



BECAUSE OF IT'S NATURE.





I LOOK FORWARD TO RECEIVING YOUR PROMPT RESPONSE.





REGARDS,



BARRISTER UGO BEN



WEMA BANK PLC.




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