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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: austin owusu <austinowusu71@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2014 09:07:24 -0700
Subject: HELLO

FEDERAL MINISTRY OF WORKS AND HOUSING, FEDERAL SECRETARIAT
ACCRA GHANA

Dear Sir/Madam.
ASSISTANCE REQUIRED FOR ACQUISITION OF ESTATE

I write to inform you of my desire to acquire estates or landed properties
in your country on behalf of the Director of Contracts and Finance
Allocations of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing in Accra Ghana .
Considering his very strategic and influential position, he would want the
transaction to be as strictly confidential as possible. He further wants
his identity to remain undisclosed at least for now,until the completion of
the transaction.Hence our desire to have an overseas agent.
I have therefore been directed to inquire if you would agree to act as our
overseas agent in order to actualize this transaction.The deal, in brief,
is that the funds with which we intend to carry out our proposed
investments in your country is presently in a coded account at the i.e(the
Bank Of Ghana)and we need your assistance to transfer the funds to your
country in a convenient bank account that will be provided by you before we
can put the funds into use in your country. For this, you shall be
considered to have executed a contract for the Federal Ministry of Works
and Housing in Accra Ghana for which payment should be effected to you by
the Ministry, The contract sum of which shall run into US$8 000 000
Million,of which your share shall be 20% if you agree to be our overseas
agent.
As soon as payment is effected, and the amount mentioned above is
successfully transferred into your account, we intend to use our own share
in acquiring some estates abroad. For this too you shall also serve as our
agent.


You are requested to communicate your acceptance of this proposal through
my stated email address after which we shall discuss in details the
modalities for seeing this transaction through.( austinowusu@gmx.com)
Your quick response will be highly appreciated.

Thank you in anticipation of your cooperation.
Yours faithfully,

Mr Austin owusu

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