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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: "Dr. Onyema." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <drnmbnsn@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 1 Jan 2000 13:43:25 -0800
Subject: Good morning and how do you do?

From: Dr.Onyema Benson
Independent National
Electoral Commission (I.N.E.C)
Lagos - Nigeria

INVESTMENT & CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS PROPOSAL

Attention Please,
It is my warmest pleasure writing you this confidential business offer irrespective of the fact that we have not met or done anything that will re-impose absolute confidence.

Nevertheless, i am very determined to communicate you with much determination that you will give my proposal a consideration. As earlier stated I am Dr.Onyema Benson, a Financial Director working with Independent National electoral Commission (INEC). My Agency is in charge of conducting all elections in my country Nigeria and by the virtue of my unique position in office as the Chief Financial Director.

I was elevated by the commission to become the chairman of foreign contract tender board committee whose responsibility is to award and supervise foreign contract to ensure it is executed promptly.

Consequently, I, the chairman of the tender board committee and in collaboration with two other top committee members we over-invoiced certain contract for the supply of electoral equipments needed for the just concluded election held in my country on Aprail 14th 2007. The initial cost of the contract was pegged at US$50 million, but after the feasibility study was done, while submitting my report to the office of the presidency for final approval, we deliberately inflated the cost to an excess amount of US $30 million making the cost to be US $80 million.

Right now, the gist of contacting you is we are constrained to claim the fund due to certain laws enacted by the government guiding civil service code of conduct Bureau which prohibits top civil servants working under Government establishment from operating offshore or foreign Account and this situation has kept us in a fix to openly come forward to claim the outstanding balance of US $30 million, hence after series of private meetings we decided to make contact in order to get a reliable foreign partner whom we will forward his or her credentials to claim the fund based on mutual trust and agreement.

In a nutshell, we need your assistance and support to claim this fund so that at the later time convenient for us, we will come over to your country after the funds have been transferred into your account upon your confirmation to meet you and collect our own percentage while you will keep the rest as yours.

In order to express our profound gratitude in your quality reflective contribution for your support and total dedication to realize the objectives of this operation, you shall be entitled to 20% of the sum total while 80% of the fund belongs to the three officials involved in the deal.

Note, you are vividly assured that you will not be subjected to any kind of risk for your support and involvement in this venture hence we have piloted a good strategy to ensure the operations goes smoothly of which we have targeted two weeks duration to accomplished our Aim.

Kindly treat this matter Absolutely confidential because the officials involved are still in service and some of us intend to resign our appointment immediately after the transaction is finalized.

I look forward to hear positively from you while further
details will be given as soon as I get your response.

Best Regards
Dr.Onyema Benson.

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