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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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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Tony Elumelu" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <info_uba@qq.com>
Date: Sun, 15 Jun 2014 23:29:41 -1200
Subject: PAYMENT APPROVAL/REMITTANCE

UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC
HEAD OFFICE: UBA HOUSE
57 MARINA,LAGOS-NIGERIA.
Office Tel: +234-7053662961
 
Our Ref: UBA/FGN/CP/2911/001/DP/014
PAYMENT APPROVAL/REMITTANCE
We are obliged to inform you that we have received an Inward Remittance Order from Federal Government of Nigeria and the Federal Ministry of Finance instructing us to contact you and remit your Contract / Inheritance Funds into your Bank Account.
However,handling this transfer without extreme and vivid carefulness following the high rate and voluminous frauds going on here and there under this dispensation, based on that we can not remit this funds immediately without first contacting you to find out the following security oriented information vis:Your Name,Your full Bank Details,your Phone and Fax Number, Amount US$20.5 Million(Twenty Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars)will be wire immediately into your account.The moment this information is received, we will compare it with what we have in our Central Computer Aki-Room/System here, if it commorance with your given information,we will immediately wire your Contract / Inheritance Funds swiftly into your account.
Please you are advised to comply with these directives immediately as to enable us include your File in our Payment Master List (PML) which has been approved for Immediate / Final Remittance at the Final quarter of this year, 2014.
Waiting for your urgent response on the above Phone,
Regards and God bless you.
Mr.Tony Elumelu
GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR
UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA
 

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