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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: "Mr. Kennedy Williams" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <williamkennedy01@hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 23 Apr 2011 20:17:56 +0100
Subject: ATM Visa Card Payment. (ATM-201).

FROM THE DEST OF:
Mr. Kennedy Williams
International Settlement Dept.
Guaranty Trust Bank Ghana
 
Attention Beneficiary,
 
This is to officially inform you that we have verified your payment file and found out that why you have not received your
fund is because you have not fulfilled the obligations given to you in respect of your contract/inheritance payment.
 
Secondly we have been informed that you are still dealing with the none officials in the bank all your attempt to secure the
release of the fund to you. We wish to advise you that such an illegal act like this have to stop if you wishes to receive
your payment since we have decided to bring a solution to your problem. Right now we have arranged your payment through our
swift card payment center Asia pacific, that is the latest instruction from Economic community of west African States
(ECOWAS).
 
This card center will send you an ATM card which you will use to withdraw your money in any ATM machine in any part of the
world, so if you like to receive your fund in this way, please let us know by contacting us back and also send the following
information as listed below.
 
1. Full name
2. Phone and fax number
3. Address were you want them to send the ATM card to
(p.o box not acceptable)
4. Your age and current occupation
5. Attach copy of your identification
 
We have been Mandated by the ECOWAS Parliament to issue out $7,000,000.00 as part payment for this fiscal year 2011. Also for
your information, you have to stop any further communication with any other person(s) or office(s) to avoid any hitches in
receiving your payment.
 
Note that because of impostors, we hereby issued you our code of conduct, which is (ATM-201) so you have to indicate this
code when contacting the card center by using it as your subject.
 
Wait for your expedite response.
 
Yours in service,
 
Mr. Kennedy Williams
International Settlement Dept.
Guaranty Trust Bank Ghana
Tel: 234-802-063-6244

Anti-fraud resources: