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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: "Mr. John Kofi Owusu" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ddaallrr3@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 14 Jul 2017 09:51:14 -0700
Subject: RE: ''PAYMENT ON ACCRUED INTEREST OF US$1.5 MILLION''

From the Desk Of:
Mr. John Kofi Owusu
Director National Investment
Bank of Ghana
 
 
RE: PAYMENT ON ACCRUED INTEREST OF US$1.5MILLION
 
I am the EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR and Head of Swift Transfer Unit of National Investment Bank of Ghana, Accra.
 
Sometime ago, your inheritance fund was brought to our bank from the Bank of Ghana, after some period, the money was taken back to the Government Treasury. For the period of time this money was in our bank, it generated an interest of US$1.5 Million, which we are about to be pay to you via International Debit Card.
 
For your information and advice, you need to hasten up to pick this Fund because from time to time the Bank of Ghana auditors do come to our bank to cross-check our files and our financial update, the earlier you comply with the demands of the delivery of the fund, the faster the action, because the Apex bank officers wants the accrued interest to be paid to them but we refused, so when they find out that this interest fund is still in our bank they will want to call back the money to the Government treasury.
 
What we need from you now is any of your identification for example; your international passport or drivers license, telephone and fax number for easy communication.
 
As a matter of fact we don?t have enough time to waste since we have wasted time in contacting our respective customers, so try and comply with the entire necessary requirement for remittance.
 
Await your urgent response.
 
Yours Sincerely
 
For: the management
 
Mr. John Kofi  Owusu
Executive Director
N. I. Bank of Ghana

Anti-fraud resources: