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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: "ahmadbin.no-reply@emirates.net.ae" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <h.e.ahmadbin@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 02:10:24 -0800
Subject: RE: REQUEST FOR URGENT BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP.

Dear Friend,
 
RE: REQUEST FOR URGENT BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP.
 
I’m Ahmad Bin Humaidan, a director in the project and planning department of the Emirates National Oil Company, U.A.E. I head a seven man Tenders Board Committee in charge of contract award and Payment approvals. I came to know of you in my search for a reliable and reputable partner to handle a very confidential transaction, which involves the transfer of a huge sum of money to a foreign account outside UAE. There were series of contracts executed by a consortium of Multi-nationals in the oil industry in Emirates National Oil Company, U.A.E among which were;
 
1) The expansion of Pipeline network within Emirate for crude oil and downstream products distribution and subsequent evacuation- US$2 Billion.
2) Contract for Turn around Maintenance (TAM) of various Refineries in Emirate.
3) The construction of Storage Tanks for Petroleum Product (Depots)-US$94 Million.
 
The original value of these contracts were deliberately over invoiced in the sum of Thirty Eight million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars ($38,500,000.00 US. Dollars) which has recently been approved and now ready to be transferred. However the companies that actually executed the aforementioned contracts have been fully paid and the projects officially commissioned.
 
Consequently, my colleagues and I are willing to transfer the total amount into your account for subsequent disbursement; nonetheless, I want you to be aware that civil servants are prohibited by the Code of Conduct Bureau (Emirate Civil Service Laws) from opening and/or operating foreign accounts in our names. Needless to say, the trust reposed in you at this juncture is enormous. In return, we have agreed amongst ourselves to offer you 15% of the transferred sum, 5% shall be set aside for any incidental expenses during the course of this transaction, you will then be mandated to revert the balance to us in due course.
 
You must however NOTE that this transaction is subject to the following terms and conditions; our conviction of your transparent honesty and diligence, that you must accord this transaction with utmost confidentiality and secrecy. Modalities have been worked out at the highest levels of the Finance Department of the Emirate, Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates and the Presidential Task Force on Contract Payment for the immediate remittance of the funds within 10 - 14 working days subject to your satisfaction of the above terms.
 
Our assurance is that your role shall be totally risk free. To accord this transaction the legality it deserves, and for mutual security of funds, the whole procedures shall be legally processed with your name or any company you may nominate as the bonafide final beneficiary. Once more, I want you to understand that having put in over 20 years in the Civil Service of my country; I am very much averse to having my image and career dented. This matter should therefore be treated with utmost secrecy and urgency. Kindly expedite immediate action as we are well behind schedule to enable us include this transfer in the first batch of the 2014 fiscal year contract payments.
 
Best Regards,
 
H.E. Ahmad Bin Humaidan
Mail: h.e.ahmadbin@gmail.com

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