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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: "W. SANKOH GANA" <williamgana@atlas.cz> (may be fake)
Reply-To: williamgana2004@mailz.net
Date: Mon, 13 Dec 2004 13:08:38 -0800
Subject: Hello Dearest friend (Please Respond Urgently)

GOOD DAY TO YOU
SIR.

MY NAME IS WILLIAM SANKOH GANA THE SON OF FORMER GOVERNOR ROBERT J.A. GANA KENEMA DISTRICT OF FREETOWN STATE OF SIERRA -LEONE . MY FATHER DIED TWO YEARS AGO (2002) DURING HIS TENOR AS GOVERNOR AND DURING THE TIME OF REBELLED DISTURBANCE, I UNDERSTAND THAT MY FATHER DEPOSITED SOME MONEY WITH A BANK HERE IN GHANA. THE TOTAL AMOUNT WAS US$5.8M.

YESTERDAY THE BANK SENT ME A LETTER ADDRESSING ME THAT MY (LATE) FATHER`S 4 YEARS AGREEMENT SIGNED WITH THEIR BANK HAS EXPIRED AND THAT THEY WANTED TO TRANSFER THE FUNDS BUT THE BENEFICIARY TO THE FUNDS WHO IS A NATIONAL OF YOUR COUNTRY CANNOT BE REACHED.

I TRAVEL IMMEDIATELY DOWN TO GHANA AS SOON AS I RECEIVED THIS MESSSAE FROM THE BANK. MY MAIN REASON FOR CONTACTING YOU IS BASED ON THE FACT THAT I DO NOT KNOW THE BENEFICIARY MY LATE FATHER HAS NOMINATED ON THIS FUNDS AND IT IS VERY URGENT THE BANK TRANSFER THESE FUNDS BEFORE THIS END OF THIS MONTH BASED ON THEIR AGREEMENT WITH MY LATE FATHER.
PLEASE SIR I NEED YOUR ASSISTANT ME BE THE BENEFICIARY TO THIS FUNDS SINCE THE FUNDS WILL BE TRANFERRED TO YOUR COUNTRY.YOU SHALL BE ENTITLED TO 20% AS SOON AS THE FUNDS ARE TRANSFERED TO YOUR ACCOUNT.

PLEASE CONTACT ME ON PHONE 00233 244 805168 OR EMAIL ME SO THAT WE CAN DISCUSS FURTHER.

THANK AND GOD BLESS YOU
WILL.








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