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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: "DR WILLIAMS MENSAH" <mensah_m@yahoo.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: williamsmensah@uk2.net
Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 11:47:05 -0700
Subject: with highly respect. thank you

DEAR,

Compliment of the season.I got to know of you in search for a reliable
person to present in an urgent needed required deal with utmost trust
and confidentiality.

I AM DR WILLIAMS MENSAH, THE CO-ORDINATOR OF CONTRACT AWARD AND REVIEW
COMMITTEE (C.A.& R. C. ) OF GOVERNMENT, IN REPUBLIC OF GHANA , SOMETIME
AGO, A CONTRACT WAS AWARDED TO A FOREIGN COMPANY BY MY COMMITTEE ON BEHALF
OF GOVERNMENT,THE CONTRACT WAS OVER INVOICED TO THE TUNE OF US$3. MILLION
DOLLARS.

THIS WAS DONE DELIBERATELY, THE OVER INVOICING WAS A DEAL IS THE ONLY WAY
SOME MEMBERS OF MY COMMITTEE CAN BENEFIT FROM THE PROJECT, I PURPOSELY DID
THIS ONE WITHOUT THE CONCEPT OR KNOWLEDGE OF ANY MENBER HERE. I HAVE
DEPOSITED THIS MONEY TO ESCROW ACCOUNT (WITHOUT A NAME).NOW I DESIRE TO
TRANSFER THIS MONEY WHICH IS PRESENTLY IN A ESCROW ACCOUNT INTO AN
OVERSEAS ACCOUNT WHICH WE EXPECT YOU TO PROVIDE FOR ME.

BENEFITS:
FOR PROVIDING THE ACCOUNT WHERE THE MONEY SHALL BE REMIT, YOU WILL BE
ENTITLED TO REDUCT $500,000.00 UNITED STATE DOLLARS OF THE MONEY AS YOUR
BENEFIT,AFTER YOU HAVE CONFIRMED THE ARRIVAL IN YOUR BANK ACCOUNT,THE
REMAINING ONE WILL BE FOR ME AND MY FAMILY AS I HAVE DECIDED TO RESIGNED
FROM PUBLIC SERVICE,WHILE $50,000.00 HAS BEEN MAPPED OUT FROM THE TOTAL
SUM TO COVER INTERNET CHARGES, OPENING OF THE ACCOUNT AND CALLS (IF ANY)
PLEASE RECORD ALL.
I WOULD REQUIRE:

A. NAME AND ADDRESS OF COMPANY/BENEFICIARY AND INFORMATION (THAT YOU HAVE
100% CONTROL OVER). THE ABOVE INFORMATION WOULD BE USED TO MAKE FORMAL
APPLICATIONS AS A MATTER OF PROCEDURE FOR THE RELEASE OF THE MONEY FOR ON
WARD TRANSFER TO YOUR ACCOUNT. IT DOES NOT MATTER WHETHER OR NOT YOUR
COMPANY OR YOU PERFORMED CONTRACT PROJECTS OF THE NATURE DESCRIBED HERE,
THE ASSUMPTION IS THAT THE CONTRACT HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND WON. SOMETIMES
HERE,A BIG TRADING COMPANIES OR INDIVIDUALS OF UNRELATED FIELD WIN MAJOR
CONTRACTS AND SUB-CONTRACTS IT OUT TO MORE SPECIALIZED FIRMS FOR EXECUTION
OF SUCH CONTRACTS.

THEREFORE, WHEN THE BUSINESS IS SUCCESSFULLY CONCLUDED, I SHALL THROUGH
THE SAME CONNECTIONS TENDER MY RESIGNATION AND COME OVER IMMEDIATELY TO
MEET YOU AND JOIN A FULL TIME BUSINESS.PLEASE THIS MONEY IS THE ONLY HOPE
I HAVE, NOTE THAT AM STILL IN PUBLIC SERVICE, WE ARE NOT ALLOW TO OPERATE
ON FOREIGN ACCOUNT. I WANT THIS MONEY TO BE TRANSFERED TO THE OVERSEAS
ACCOUNT WHICH YOU ARE GOING TO PROVIDE FOR SAFE KEEPING PENDING WHEN I
WILL DETERMINE HOW WE
WANT OUR PORTION OF THE MONEY,ALL EXPENSES REGARDING THE ACCOUNT OPENING
IF NOT ALREADY IN EXISTENCE SHALL BE BORNE BY YOU, ALL EXPENSES ARE
HOWEVER REIMBURSABLE AS ALREADY STATED ABOVE ON CONCLUSION OF BUSINESS.

PLEASE EXPRESS YOUR READINESS WITH ME BEFORE GIVEN YOU THE BANK CONTACT
ADDRESS,ACCOUNT NAME AND NUMBER WHERE THE MONEY WAS DEPOSITED.SO THAT YOU
CONTACT THEM FOR THE RELEASE OF THIS FUND. IF YOU ARE NOT, IT WILL ENABLE
ME SCOUT FOR ANOTHER FOREIGN PARTNER TO CARRY OUT THIS DEAL. I WILL SEND
YOU MY PHONE NUMBER,RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS,A
COPY OF MY INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT AND OTHER PERSONAL DATA.

FOR MORE DETAILS,CALL ON;-00-233-243-150-791 OR SEND ME EMAIL williamsmensah@uk2.net
.

I AWAIT IN ANTICIPATION FOR YOUR COOPERATION.

YOURS FAITHFULLY,
DR WILLIAMS MENSAH


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