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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: "Richard Wood" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <kelly.broadbent.apg@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 2 Aug 2017 18:48:55 +0100
Subject: Our inquiry

PRIVATE MEMO
 
Please pardon me as I am aware that this is not a conventional way of relaying an important message such as this.I did try without success to locate either your contact address or fax number hence I resorted to contacting you via email.
 
Greetings.My name is Richard Wood, a senior partner in the firm of RW Consulting  30 Hollybush Rd. Hook Norton. OX15 5LY Oxfordshire United Kingdom. We are a Private Investigators, Security Consultants and Financial Managers. we are conducting a standard process investigation/Recommendation on behalf of African Development Bank Group (ADB) and the African Investment Banking Conglomerate in conjunction with standard Bank International London thus will
be referred to as our clients.
 
 
This investigation involves an account holder (Name Withheld) who bears same surname with you and also the circumstances surrounding his investments at ADB Invest Account, the Investment Banking arm of African Development Bank Group.
 
The ADB Private Investment client died intestate and nominated no successor in title over the investments made with  the bank amounting
to over SEVEN Million US Dollars.
 
 
The essence of this communication with you is to request that you  provide us information/comments on any or all of the four issues as regards nominating you to inherit the fund left behind by this client.
 
 
Your answers and response(s) to the questions raised below will determine our recommendation to the ADB towards legally appointing
you to inherit this investment fund after certified investigation has yielded results showing that there is no known relation of the deceased client.
 
1-Are you aware of any relative/relation born on the 2nd of February 1951, who bears same surname as yourself and whose last known business location as an oil merchant was Africa?
 
 
2-Are you aware of any investment of considerable value made by such a person at the Investment Banking Division of AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK GROUP, ACCRA GHANA?
 
 
3-Can you confirm your willingness to accept this inheritance if you  are legally and legitimately appointed.
 
 
4-Would you agree to donate part of this inheritance to charity if you are officially approved to stand as the inheritor?
 
 
You must appreciate that we are constrained from providing you with more detailed information at this point. We will provide you with additional information upon receipt of your response.
 
 
Thank you for accommodating our inquiry.
 
 
Best regards,
 
Richard Wood
For: Rw Consulting 30 Hollybush Rd.
Hook Norton. OX15 5LY. Oxfordshire.
United Kingdom.

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