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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.

 

 

Fraud email example:

From: "MR MARTINS BALONGUN."<martinsbalongun1@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2005 13:45:56 +0100
Subject: URGENT REPLY

SHELL PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY
44 MARINA, LAGOS NIGERIA.
ATTENTION: THE MANAGING DIRECTOR,

HELLO,

FIRST, I MUST SOLICIT YOUR CONFIDENCE IN THIS ANSACTION, THIS
IS BY VIRTUE OF ITS ATURE AS BEING CONFIDENTIAL. I AM ASSURING YOU
THAT ALL WILL BE WELL AT THE END OF THE DAY. WE HAVE DECIDED TO
CONTACT YOU BY E-MAIL DUE TO THE URGENCY OF THIS TRANSACTION.
LET ME STARTS BY INTRODUCING MY SELF PROPERLY TO YOU. I AM MR MARTINS
BALOGUN,
THE AUDITOR OF THE SHELL PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY (SPDC).
I CAME TO KNOW OF YOU IN MY PRIVATE SEARCH FOR A LIABLE AND REPUTABLE
PERSON TO HANDLE THIS FIDENTIALTRANSACTION WHICH INVOLVES THE
TRANSFER OF THE SUM OF THIRTY-FIVE MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS
WITH SECURITY COMPANY IN EUROPE.
THIS AMOUNT WAS SECURED FROM EXCESS OIL SALES FROM NIGERIA CRUDE
OIL. THE SUM OF $1.2 BILLION OIL WINDFALL WAS RELIEZED BY THE SHELL
PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST 2004.ORGANISATION
OF
PETROLEUM EXPORTING COUNTRIES (OPEC) CRUDE OIL PRICE WAS PEG AT
$22.00 PER BARREL AND FORTUNATELY FOR OIL PRODUCING COUNTRIES LIKE
NIGERIA, THERE WAS RISES IN OIL PRICE TO ABOUT $27.00 AND $28.00 PER
BARREL
AND AS A
RESULT THERE WAS EXCESS OIL SALES AND I BELIEVE YOU WOULD BE AWARE
OF THIS RISE IN OIL PRICE IN THIS YEARS.
OUT OF THESE $1.2 BILLION EXCESS OIL FUNDS, MY COLLEAQUES AND MYSELF
BECAUSE OF OUR POSITION IN THE ACCOUNT DEPARTMENT OF! THE SHELL
PETROLEUM EVELOPMENT COMPANY DIVERTED THE SUM OFTHIRTY-FIVE MILLION
UNITED STATE DOLLARS WE WANT TO TRANSFER INTO YOUR ACCOUNT WHICH
IS IN THE EXCESS CRUDE OIL SALES WITH SECURITY COMPANY IN EUROPE.
TO ENABLE THE SECURITY COMPANY PAY YOU THIS THIRTY-FIVE MILLION
U.S DOLLARS I SECURED TO YOU WILL BE ACTING AS ONE OF OUR CONTRACTOR
AND THIS MONEY WILL BE PAID IN
YOUR FAVOUR.
NOTE, THE REASON FOR THE PAYMENT OF THIS THIRTY-FIVE MILLION U.S
DOLLARS INTO YOUR HAND WILL BE FOR A MOBILISATION FEE FOR A CONTRACT
THAT IS AWARDED TO YOU BY MY COMPANY THE SHELL PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT
COMPANY.
ALL THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTATIONFOR THE APPROVAL OF THIS FUND WILL
BE TAKEN GOOD CARE OF AND TH IS BUSINESS IS 100% RISK FREE AS ALL
THE MODALITIES FOR THE SMOOTH PAYMENT OF THIS FUND INTO YOUR HAND HAS
BEEN
CONCLUDED ALREADY.
1)THAT THIRTY PERCENT (30%) WILL BE FOR YOU FOR HELPING US RECEIVING
THIS
FUND,
2)THAT TEN PERCENT (10%) WILL BE MAPED OUT FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF NY
EXPENSES INCURED BY THE TWO PARTIES (YOUR PARTY AND MY PARTY) DURING
THE
TRANSFER OF THIS FUND INTO YOUR ACCOUNT,
3)THAT SIXTY PERCENT WILL BE FOR MY PARTY, WHICH I WELL USE TO IMPORT
YOUR COMPANIES PRODUCTS INTO MY COUNTRY.
TO ENABLE US PROCEED WITH THIS BUSINESS, YOU ARE URGENTLY REQUIRED
TO SEND ME YOUR DIRECT PHONE AND FAX NUMBERS, REPLY TO MY PRIVAT
E-MAIL (martinsbalongun2@yahoo.co.uk) REPLY AS FAST AS YOU CAN SO THAT WE CAN
APPLY
FOR IMMEDIATE PAYMENT OF THIS FUND INTO YOUR HAND, WAITING TO RECEIVE
YOUR
IMMEDIATE REPLY.
YOURS FAITHFULLY,
MR.MARTINS BALOGUN,
THE AUDITOR OF SHELL PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY




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