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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 john pimpong <drjohnpimpong@gmailo.com>
Date: Sat, 27 Jun 2009 23:48:47 H0300
Subject: i need your urgent reply please

FROM THE DESK OF Dr John Pimpong, AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING MANAGER, BANK OF GHANA (B.O.G) ACCRA GHANA. e-mail: Drjohnpimpong@gmail.com please call me for more detail (+233 24 0094936) COMPLIMENTS, I AM THE MANAGER OF BILL AND EXCHANGE AT THE FOREIGN REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT OF BANK OF GHANA I AM WRITING TO SEEK YOUR COOPERATION OVER THIS BUSINESS DEAL. IN MY DEPARTMENT, I DISCOVERED AN ABANDONED SUM OF $20.MILLION U S D(TWENTY MILLION U.S.A DOLLARS)ONLY , IN AN ACCOUNT THAT BELONGS TO ONE OF OUR FOREIGN CUSTOMERS WHO DIED ALONG WITH HIS ENTIRE FAMILY IN A PLANE CRASH THAT TOOK PLACE IN KENYA, EAST GHANA, OFFICIALS OF KENYA SAID THAT THE PLANE WAS DESTROYED. KILLED WERE RETIRED ATLANTA PHYSICIAN GEORGE BRUMLEY Jr,68 AND HIS WIFE,JANE,67. ALSO KILLED WAS THEIR DAUGHTER LOIS MOREELL,39,HER HUSBAND RICHARD,43,AND SON ALEXANDER, 11,DAUGHTER ELIZABETH LOVE,41 HER HUSBAND WILLIAM,41 AND DAUGHTER SARAH,12,AND SON GEORGE 111 42,HIS WIFE JULIA,42 AND THEIR SON GEORGE IV,14 AND DAUGHTER JORDAN ,12. SINCE WE GOT INFORMATION ABOUT HIS DEATH, WE HAVE BEEN EXPECTING HIS NEXT OF KIN TO COME OVER AND CLAIM HIS MONEY BECAUSE IT CANNOT BE RELEASED UNLESS SOMEBODY COMES FOR IT AS NEXT OF KIN OR RELATION TO THE DECEASED AS INDICATED IN OUR BANKING GUIDELINES BUT UNFORTUNATELY , ALL HIS SUPPOSED NEXT OF KIN OR RELATION DIED ALONGSIDE WITH HIM AT THE PLANE CRASH LEAVING NOBODY BEHIND FOR THE CLAIM. IT IS THEREFORE UPON THIS DISCOVERY THAT I NOW DECIDED TO MAKE THIS BUSINESS PROPOSAL TO YOU AND RELEASE THE MONEY TO YOU VIA YOUR FOREIGN BANK ACCOUNT AS THE NEXT OF KIN OR RELATION TO THE DECEASED FOR SAFETY AND SUBSEQUENT DISBURSEMENT SINCE NOBODY IS COMING FOR IT AND THIS MONEY COULD GO INTO THE BANK TREASURY AS UNCLAIMED BILL. THE BANKING LAW AND GUIDELINE HERE STIPULATES THAT IF SUCH MONEY REMAINED UNCLAIMED AFTER SEVEN YEARS, THE MONEY WILL BE TRANSFERRED INTO THE BANK TREASURY AS UNCLAIMED FUND.THE REQUEST FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE AND MAXIMUM CO- OPERATION AS A FOREIGN CITIZEN TO STAND AS THE NEXT OF KIN IN THIS BUSINESS. THEREFORE TO ENABLE THE IMMEDIATE TRANSFER OF THIS FUND TO YOU AS ARRANGED, YOU MUST APPLY FIRST TO THE BANK AS THE RELATION OR NEXT OF KIN TO THE DECEASED, INDICATING YOUR CLAIMS AND WHEREIN THE MONEY WILL BE REMITTED . UPON RECEIPT OF YOUR REPLY, I WILL SEND TO YOU BY FAX OR EMAIL THE TEXT OF APPLICATION WHICH YOU WILL FILL AND SUBMIT TO THE OFFICE OF THE FOREIGN REMITTANCE DIRECTOR OF THE BANK OF AFRICA. I WILL NOT FAIL TO BRING TO YOUR NOTICE THAT THIS TRANSACTION IS STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL AND I WILL USE MY POSITION IN THIS BANK TO EFFECT A HITCH FREE TRANSFER OF THE FUND. YOU SHOULD CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY AS SOON AS YOU RECEIVE THIS LETTER.TRUSTING TO HEAR FROM YOU IMMEDIATELY. PLEASE , VISIT THE WEBSITE BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PLANE CRASH AND THE TRAGIC DEATH OF THE DECEASED AND HIS ENTIRE FAMILY, LATE DR. GEORGE BRUMLEY. WWW.CNN.com/2003/WORLD/Africa/07/20/Kenya.crash/index.HTML YOUR’S FAITHFULLY, Dr John Pimpong, BILL AND EXCHANGE MANAGER, BANK OF GHANA. PLEASE CONTACT ME WITH THIS EMAIL ADDRESS (Drjohnpimpong@gmail.com)

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