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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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.

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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "transfer into your account" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "central bank of nigeria" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "nigeria national petroleum corporation" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "ishiaso1@gmail.com" <ishiaso1@gmail.com>
Reply-To: isma_dko@yahoo.com
Date: Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:39:26 +0100
Subject: Request for Urgent Business Relationship


FROM: ALHAJI ISHIAKU DANSO
LAGOS, NIGERIA.

Dear Friend,

Request for Urgent Business Relationship

I am the former Contract Award Manager with the Nigeria National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC) and a member of the adhoc committee set up by the federal
government of Nigeria to review contracts awarded by the past military
administration between 1985-1993. The members of the committee are
interested in the importation of goods into the country with the funds
presently floating in the Central Bank of Nigeria/Nigeria National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC) foreign payments account.

Our request is anchored on our strong desire to establish a lasting business
relationship with you and your company. We hence solicit your partnership to
enable us transfer into your account the said funds. You have been
recommended to us in confidence and we were assured of your ability and
reliability to prosecute business transaction that require maximum
confidentiality.

Origin of Fund

This fund is presently floating in the Nigeria National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC) foreign payments account with the Central Bank of Nigeria
(CBN). This is as result of grossly over invoiced contracts which were
executed for the NNPC during the last administration in Nigeria, and are
presently under verification. To this effect, the present administration in
Nigeria set up an adhoc committee to identify, scrutinize and recommend for
payment all valid contracts that have been fully executed. In the course of
our assignment, we have identified a lot of misappropriated and inflated
funds which are presently floating in the suspense account of the Central
Bank of Nigeria ready for payment. The companies who executed their
contracts have been fully paid. It is now part of the over inflated sum of
USD25,320,000.00 that we intend to transfer into the foreign account.

I have therefore been mandated as a matter of trust by the members of the
committee to look for a foreign partner into whose account we could transfer
the sum of USD25,320,000.00 (twenty-five million, three hundred and twenty
thousand US dollars) only. Hence I am writing you this letter. We have
agreed to share the funds thus:

(1) 65% for us (the committee members) and
(2) 25% for account owner (you)
(3) 10% to be used in settling taxation and all local and foreign expenses
that will be incured in the course of this transaction.

It is from the 65% that we wish to commence the importation busines. Please
note that this transaction is 100% safe and guaranteed since the law under
which our committee was set up has empowered us to disburse all the funds
found to be floating in the Central Bank of Nigeria redundant account from
1985 till date. We shall commence the transfer of the funds immediately we
receive the following informationS

(1) your company's name and full address
(2) your banker's name, address, telephone and fax numbers
(3) the account number and name of beneficiary.
The above information are to enable us put up letters of claim and job
description to the respective ministries for the issuance of the mandatory
fund release approval/recommendations. This way, your company will become
recognised and accepted as the beneficiary of the contract entitlements
before the final remittance to your nominated account by the Central Bank of
Nigeria being the paying bank.

We are looking forward to doing this business with you and solicit your
absolute confidentiality in this transaction. Please acknowledge the receipt
of this letter for more details regarding the transaction.

Yours faithfully, ALHAJI ISHIAKU DANSO.
N.B. This letter is being sent by ordinary mail for confidentiality purpose

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam