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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: "Dr. Paul Hardy" <officialfile01@gmail.com>
Reply-To: oficialsfile01@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2018 16:42:38 +0100
Subject: VERY URGENT

Dear Friend,

RE: THE REASON WHY YOU HAVE NOT SUCCEEDED IN RECEIVING YOUR FUND

After waiting to hear from you or your AFRICA partner for a long time now,
I decided to make this direct approach to you as my new resolution in
other not to let it be if I have anything in mind against you.

I do not know if you have asked yourself why each time the release of this
fund is approved, all of a sudden, the payment will be stopped or one
problem or the other will come up if you have not asked this question or
you do not know, this is an opportunity for me to tell you.

Some time ago, your AFRICAN friends, I mean the people that introduced you
to the project approached me through my dear wife who work with the
Federal Ministry of Finance and requested me to assist them conclude a
money transfer deal they had with you. They requested me to assist them by
removing the original contractor? name, company? name and bank particulars
from the Bank Of AFRICA vetting computer and replacing them with your name
and bank details in order to make you appear as the rightful beneficiary
of this fund.

I agreed on condition that they will pay me US$100,000.00 as soon as your
name appears as the beneficiary. I did as agreed and demanded to be paid,
but your friends started telling me stories, they even told me you promised
to send money to me.

Do you know that up till now, I have not received a single cent from them
and have not set my eyes on any of them? Based on their attitude, I decided
to stop the fund release movement because I cannot be denied of my right in
my own office considering the risk as it might affect my job.. Secondly, I
know the source of the funds that you did not execute any contract in
AFRICA , although I am the only person privileged to know this information
and it is a fact. Why I am making this clear to you is that I can see that
you are still making efforts in order to conclude this project. Now I am
ready to forget the past.

I do not need the US $100.000.00 any longer from you but a good
compensation from your mind. I need your assurance that those colleagues
will be totally kept out of this transaction. I know that none of them is
aware of my new approach to you. Stop spending your money unnecessarily to
Bank of AFRICA Officers both here and overseas because you will not receive
this money without my hand in it. I personally did the work at the
beginning and only I can perform it.

Finally, I need your promise that no official of the Bank of AFRICA will be
aware of my involvement in this regard because of my position. Now
re-assure me that you will be willing to compensate me and that you will
assist my wife to establish a foreign account in your country where my
compensation will be lodged. Also a TT FUND RELEASE APPROVAL DOCUMENTS will
be sent to you for endorsement after which I will remit the money within 48
hours.

I am a man of my word. If you are ready to conclude this business with me,
kindly contact me on my so that we can have a chat over this issue once
and for all. But if the reverse is the case, do not bother yourself to
reach me and forget about this money.

BEST REGARDS

Dr. Paul H. Hadi
Chairman payment verification Panel

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