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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: "Johnson" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <johnsonbrown777@zing.vn>
Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2002 21:38:50 -0000
Subject: IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF YOUR INHERITANCE FUND VIA ATM SWIFT CARD.

--
                INTERNAL REVENUE/FUNDS DEPARTMENT ACCRA, GHANA COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN PAYMENT
                                                (RESOLUTION PANEL ON CONTRACT PAYMENT)
                                                              GHANA FILE CODE #: ATM/LAG/GH
                                    IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF YOUR INHERITANCE FUND VIA ATM SWIFT CARD.
 
 
In close consultation with the World Bank, IMF and the European Union (EU), this is to notify you of your enlistment as a beneficiary of a recent Debt Management and Settlement Forum organized on the status of global arrangement to have your beneficiary fund settled once and for all. Of course, In the hope that you must have been aware of the past financial leakages in the European and West African foreign inheritance payment system, and frustrations associated there from in your last attempt to claim the fund, wherein fund beneficiaries (like yourself) was subjected to unnecessary bureaucratic bottlenecks in lieu of claiming funds due them. The World Body, having solicited and received the cooperation of Ghanaian Gover Payment to be released to you as urgently as you act on the instructions of this mail.
 
Consequently, Bank Of Ghana ACCRA has been directed by the World Body to of set these outstanding debts, using ATM Swift Card payment arrangement.
 
Already, a total amount of US$15 Million has been provided to the bank for this purpose and it is on first come first serve. With this arrangement, I wish to inform you that Bank Of Ghana ACCRA has been instructed to issue in your name an ATM Cash Card with the valued amount of US$15M. In paying this amount to you, please note that it is without Prejudice to your original inheritance sum. Rather, it is a stop-gap payment arrangement put in place by the World Body to on the one hand ensure that you receive part of your fund, while on the other hand ensure that the process is smooth and without any form of stress whatsoever, whereas a comprehensive arrangement shall be made in future to pay off the remaining fund due you.
 
However, we are worried with the counter information received from one Mr. Jack Law, purporting to be from your directive, with express instruction to activate the ATM Cash Card for release of fund to his name a bank account in the "Cayman Islands" Obviously, we are hesitant to honor this instruction as it were, and would request that you clarify same upon your contact with Bank Of Ghana Accra. In addition to that, you should provide the bank with the following details to forestall any mistake of issuing the ATM Card with the wrong information already submitted by Mr. Jack Law:
 
1. Full name for confirmation
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
6. Beneficiary name for activation of your ATM CARD.
 
Believing that this arrangement will suit your condition and expectations, we will therefore request for your expedited response to avoid any more delay.
 
Your response should be directed to Bank Of Ghana Accra, Attention: Mr. Johnson Brown Director Atm Payment Dept through his official Email address: johnsonbrown177@zing.vn Your file reference code for your Payment is ATM/LAG/GH and should be quoted in your contact mail to the bank otherwise the bank will not recognize/process your ATM Swift Payment.
 
Regards,
 
Mr. Johnson Brown.
Internal Revenue Service.

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