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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: Diana Layfield <sophia.oba5@gmail.com>
Reply-To: dianal00112233@gmail.com
Date: Sun, 11 May 2014 23:07:52 +0100
Subject: Greetings

Greeting,

My Name is Diana Layfield; the Chief Executive Officer, Africa Region of
Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria, here is my profile click the link

https://www.sc.com/ng/about-us/board-of-directors.html.

I wish to transfer and invest funds in your organization and country on the
share of ($20.5M) for you and the rest for me.I discovered that my branch
in which I am the Chief Auditor had (85,500.000.00 USD) floating fund in
an account which was opened in 1990 belonging to a dead foreigner Late Mr.
A.C., a national of your country,of which no body/staff or director is
aware of and will never be aware of, I have also PLACED this fund on ESCROW
CALL ACCOUNT without a beneficiary.

As the Group Finance Director, I want to transfer the sum of $85.5M, from
my Company, in his account overseas. I am therefore writing to ask you that
you quietly partner with me and providing an account or set up a new one
that will serve the purpose of receiving this fund. Even an empty account
can also serve as long as you prove to be honest to me till the end of the
deal. I hope you will never let me down. After going through the deceased
records and files, I

discovered that:

(1) No one has operated this account since 1993;
(2) He died without a heir; hence the money has been floating.
(3) No other person knows about this account and there was no known
beneficiary.And if I do not remit this money urgently, it would be
forfeited for nothing. Please if you accept my offer, kindly contact me on
my private email for more details.

This money can only be approved to you legally as you have the same LAST
NAME. Hence I am contacting you. I will require your urgent reply so that I
give you the next step, Please send me your Private/Direct Phone and Fax
numbers so I reach you. I am ready to give you the sum of ($20.5M) for your
assistance and partnership with me.

In course of this transaction, there are practically no risk involve
because it will be a bank-to-bank transfer. Please this is very
confidential transaction please.

I will appreciate your timely response.

Diana Layfield

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