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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: "KOKO WALTER" <kokowalter@nationalprivatizationcommittee-ng.com>
Date: Wed, 8 Dec 2004 09:20:36
Subject: PERSONAL

Walter Koko
Treasury Department
Federal Ministry of Finance
Garki, Area 7 Abuja
Nigeria.
Tel: 234 80 5581 8032

Dear sir,

It is indeed my pleasure to write you this letter, which I believe will be a surprise to you, as we have never met before. I actually got your e-mail address while searching the internet for a reliable person to handle this transaction.

I am Mr Walter Koko. I work in the Treasury Department in the Federal Ministry of Finance, and I am a close associate of the immediate past Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr Gaius Obaseki.

Mr Obaseki has mandated me to transfer the sum of US$88 millions recovered from over-invoiced contracts involved in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) into several private accounts in Europe and United States. A total sum of US $73, 700, 000.00 has been transferred before the untimely removal of Mr Obaseki as the Group MD of the
NNPC, by this present government, leaving the balance of US$14, 300, 000.00.

I have made proper arrangement/documentation to transfer the balance which is retained in a suspense account of the NNPC with the Central Bank of Nigeria. We are soliciting that you help us to receive the fund in trust. We cannot complete this transaction without the participation of a foreign partner who would provide an offshore account where the funds could be lodged, as the Federal Legislature here in my country Nigeria does not permit government workers to operate offshore accounts.

The remittance of the funds requires little documentation that would be completed as soon as you provide us with a secured bank account that you have absolute control over, where you may wish to receive the money. There is no risk involved on your part in this transaction since the former Group Managing Director of NNPC and I have covered this
transaction with adequate contract and external credit documents.

What we require from you by telephone or email are viz:

(i) Acceptance of this offer

(ii) Your company name/address, a secured telephone/fax numbers and a bank account that you have absolute control over where the funds would be lodged.

(iii) Convincing Honesty, Trustworthiness and Willingness to abide by the requirements of this proposal paramount of which is CONFIDENTIALITY

We have agreed that you will retain 20% of the entire US$14, 300,000.00 for your effort in this transaction, 70% for us partners here in Nigeria and the remaining 10% will be used for defrayal of incidental cost in the course of this transfer.

Please reply urgently by email, as we expect that the transaction will not take more than seven working days. And please note that this transaction must be top secret.

Best regards.

Walter Koko








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