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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "Johnson Adam" <to2nk201@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 2 Feb 2011 01:19:56 +0100 (CET)
Subject: URGENT .....................

Dear Sir/Madam,

RE: TRANSFER OF $ 29,000.000.00 USD
(TWENTY NINE MILLION UNITED STATE DOLLARS)

I am Dr johnson adam. the Auditor General of union banks here Nigeria Africa, during the course of our auditing, I discovered a floating fund in an account opened in the bank in 2004 and since 2008 nobody has operated on this account again. After going through some old files in the records I discovered that the owner of the account died without a [heir] hence the money is floating and if I do not remit this money out urgently it will be forfeited for nothing. The owner of this account is Mr. Howard Sweeney, a foreigner, a miner and an industrialist. He made millions of dollars before he died mysteriously .Since 2008 no other person knows about this account or any thing concerning it.

My investigation proved to me that the account has no other beneficiary and that Mr. Howard Sweeney until his death was the manager Sweeney Coy.(pty). SA. We will start the first transfer with six million dollars [$6,000,000.00] upon successful transaction without any disappoint from your side, we shall re-apply for the payment of the remaining amount to your account. The amount involved is (USD 29M) Twenty Nine million United States Dollars only.

I want to first transfer$6,000.000 [Six million United States Dollar] from this money into a safe foreigners account abroad before the rest, but I don't know any foreigner. I am revealing this to you with believe in God that you will never let me down in this business. Also send your private telephone number and fax number including the full details of the account to be used for the deposit. I need your strong assurance that you will never let me down in this business proposition. With my influence and the position of a bank official whom is working in our favor we can transfer this money to any foreigner's reliable account which you can provide with assurance that this money will be intact pending our physical arrival in your country for sharing.

 The bank official will destroy all documents of transaction immediately we receive this money leaving no trace to any place and to build confidence you can come immediately to discuss with me face to face after which I will make this remittance in your presence and three of us will fly to your country at least two days ahead of the money going into the account. At the conclusion of this business, you will be given 35% of the total amount, 60% will be for me, while 5% will be for expenses both parties might have incurred during the process of transferring.

I look forward to your earliest response.

Best Regards,
Dr johnson adam

 

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