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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: martins vaye <martinsvaye@gmail.com>
Reply-To: vayemartins13@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2011 15:09:13 +0100
Subject: respond if interested

From: Mr.Martins Vaye
Of International commercial Bank of Ghana
Tamale Branch

Dear Friend,

My name is Mr.martins vaye.I am the Auditor of International
commercial Bank of Ghana Tamale branch in the Northern region of
Ghana. I got your contact when I was searching for an overseas partner
to assist me through banker's seminar held recently in Madrid the
capital city of Spain.

I have packaged a financial transaction that will benefit you and I,as
auditor it is my duty to send in a financial report to my head office
in the capital city Accra at the end of each business year. On the
course of the last two years 2009 business report, I discovered that
my branch in which I am the auditor made ten million three hundred and
seventy thousand united state dollars ($10,370,000.00) which my head
office are not aware of and will never be aware of.I have placed this
funds in what we call ESCROW CALL ACCOUNT with no beneficiary.

As the auditor of this bank I cannot be directly connected to this
money, so my aim of contacting you is to assist me receive this money
in your bank account and get 35% of the total funds as commission.

There are practically no risks involved, it will be a bank-to-bank
transfer,and all I need from you is to stand as the original depositor
of these funds who made the deposit with my branch so that my head
office International Remittance Department can order the transfer to
your designated bank account. I will be very appreciative if you can
return to me with urgent dispatch to enable me advise you on the
modalities.

I await to receive your immediate response.

Regards,
Mr.Martins Vaye

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