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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.

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Fraud email example:

From: "PAUL" <pauloga@tiscali.it>
Reply-To: oga@outgun.com
Date: Fri, 19 Nov 2004 03:35:13 -0800
Subject: ENGR. PAUL OGA

ENGR. PAUL OGA
FEDERAL MINISTRY OF
WORKS AND HOUSING,
FEDERAL SECRETARIATE
LAGOS NIGERIA
Dear sir,
BUSINESS PROPOSAL

First, I must solicit your strictest confidence in
this transaction; this is by virtue of its nature as
being utterly confidential and top secret as you were introduced to me in
confidence through the effort of a friend of mine who was on sabbatical
in your country. What I am about to divulge to you in this letter is top
secret and if it offends or does not meet with your business ethics, I crave
your indulgence.

I am the Chairman of the Contract Review Panel (CRP) set up by the present
civilian Government of Nigeria to look into the contracts awarded by the
past Military regime. In the course of our work at the CRP, we discovered
that most of these contracts were grossly over
invoiced. Contracts awards were over estimated by top officials of this
ministry in collaboration with top government officials of the last military
administration. The companies that executed the contracts have been duly
paid and the contracts commissioned leaving Twenty Two Millions Five Hundred
United States Dollars (US$22.5M) floating in the escrow account of the Central
Bank of Nigeria ready for payment.
I have therefore been mandated as a matter of trust by my colleagues in
the CRP to look for an overseas partner to whom we could transfer the sum
of (US$22.5M) only, legally subcontracting the entitlement to you/your company.
This is bearing in mind that our civil service code of conduct forbids us
from owning foreign company or running foreign account while in government
service hence the need for an
overseas partner.

We have agreed that the funds will be shared thus after it has been paid
into your account:
(1) 30% of the money will go to you for acting as the beneficiary of the
fund.
(2)10% has been set aside as an abstract projection for reimbursement to
both parties for incidental expenses that may be incurred in the course
of the transaction.
(3) 60% to us the government officials (with which we wish to invest in
various businesses in your country this is bearing in mind that we can not
come back here with the money).
All logistics are in place and all modalities worked out for the smooth
conclusion of the transaction within ten to fourteen days of commencement
after receipt of the following information: Your full name/ company name,
address, company's details & activities, telephone & fax numbers. These
information will enable us make the applications
and lodge claims to the concerned ministries & agencies in favor of you/your
company and it is pertinent to state here that this transaction is entirely
based on trust as the solar bank draft or
certified cheque draw able in any of the Central Bank of Nigeria correspondent
bankers in America, Asia and Europe is going to be made in your name. Please
acknowledge the receipt of this mail through my email address.
I await your prompt and positive response to this business proposal.

Yours Faithfully,
Engr. Paul Oga









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