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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: MS ELIZABETH GODSWELL <elizabethmichaelgodswell@gmail.com>
Reply-To: mailboxmeprivate@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 4 Jul 2017 04:06:39 +0200
Subject: Fund Transfer.

FROM: MS ELIZABETH GODSWELL
OFFICE OF THE ACCOUNTANT AND AUDITOR
OF ABSA BANK, REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA.
TELEPHONE:+27842366048
E-MAIL ADDRESS:
Dear friend,
Greetings.
I got your email address here on the inter-net and decided to contact
for this fund transfer, I hereby to introduce myself. I am the Chief
accountant and Auditor of Absa Bank of South Africa.
There is bank account, owned by a foreign investor who died along with
his entire family in auto fatal accident here in freeways. The account
has No other beneficiaries and during my investigation it proves to me
as well that his company does not know anything about this account and
at the moment the bank account is contained the amount of US$28
9MILLION.( TWENTY EIGHT MILLION AND NINE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED
STATES DOLLARS).
Since his death, none of his next-of-kin are alive to make claims for
this funds as his, her heir, we cannot release the funds from his
account unless someone, a foreigner applies for claim as the
next-of-kin to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines.
Upon this discovery, I now seek your permission to have you stand as a
next of kin to the deceased; all documentations will be carefully
worked out by me for the funds to be released in your favour as the
beneficiary's next of kin. Rather than allow the Top Government
officials that is in charged to scrutinize on the deceased, or
abounding funds and they confiscate those funds and share among
themselves, however this is what they have been doing for decades.
If it may interest you to know that I have secured from the probate an
order of mandamus to locate any of the deceased beneficiaries.
Please acknowledge receipt of this mail and in acceptance of this
transfer kindly send to me through my above email address you’re below
following information’s if you are interested:
You’re full Names......................................
You’re Cell Telephone..........................................
Yours bank account details, with swift code to be used for this
transfer.....................................................
Marital Status............................................
Age.........................................................
Occupation...............................................
Once receive them i will furnished you with more details to commerce
on this claims and upon the achievement of this transfer I had agreed
to give to you 45% of the total fund been the bank account provider,
50% for me as the deal organizer, while 5% set to be used to cover any
local / international transfer expenses towards and during this claim
by you as the next of kin.
If this proposal is acceptable by you contact me immediately you read
this mail . Note that with mutual trust and mutual corporation both
of us will champion this transfer successful and happily.
Thanks,
Best regards
Ms Elizabeth Godswell

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