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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: "David Melnic" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <davidmelnic9@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2018 21:06:52 +0200
Subject: Hello

Hello,

My name is David Melnic, son of Engr. Evgeny Melnic We're Israeli
national with Moldovan root. We spent most of our lives in Ghana
before moving down to Togo where my dad worked as a foreign contractor
until he died from a Cardiac arrest in 2016.

Life has not been easy for me since my father's death, having lost my
Mum 23 years ago few minutes after I was born! I would like to leave
Africa now which is why I am contacting you. Though we haven't met
before, but I'll need your help in repatriating the money which my
late father left with Orabank, Togo. I never knew about the money
until I found the documents, indicating that he made a fund deposit of
two million seven hundred and fifty thousand Dollars ($2,750,000.00)
with this bank.

Though I’m the next-of-kin, but the bank may not release the money to
me without approval of any senior member of my family due to 'Age
clause' as supplemented by my late father. Hence, I have decided to
employ your assistance in standing as a senior member of my family so
that the bank can release the money. We'll discuss your remuneration
and transfer modalities if you'll agree to stand in for me.

If you wish to discuss the issue further, please reply.

Yours Sincerely,
David

Anti-fraud resources: