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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: "Lamptey Kwame" <lkicb0002@gmail.com>
Reply-To: kofiicb@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2008 02:03:31 +0100
Subject: Attention Sir/Madam {Respond immediately for details}


From: Mr.Lamptey Kwame
The Manager International
Commercial Bank Ghana,
First Light Branch
Accra, Ghana.


Dear Friend,

I got your contact during my search for a reliable, honest and a trust
worthy person to entrust this huge transfer project with. My name is
Mr.Lamptey Kwame. I am the manager of the international commercial bank
Ghana, first light branch. I am a Ghanaian married with two kids.

I write to solicit your assistance in a funds transfer deal involving US$
5.3million.This fund has been stashed out of the excess profit made last
year by my branch office of the International Commercial Bank of Ghana,
which I am the manager. I have already submitted an
approved end-of-the-year report for the year 2007 to my head office here in
Accra-Ghana and they will never know of this excess. I have also since
then, placed this funds on a Non-Investment 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 will guide you on how to apply to my head office for the
Account Closure/bank-to-bank remittance of this funds to your designated
bank account. Believe me this deal is genuine
and it will work. If you concur with this proposal, I intend for you to
retain 30% of the funds while 70% shall be for me.

l will appreciate if you respond immediately on the regards.

Sincerely,
Mr.Lamptey Kwame

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