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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: "MICHAEL SELORMEY." <michael2005selormey@yahoo.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: michael2005selormey@freeghana.com
Date: Sun, 29 May 2005 18:17:59 +0100
Subject: BUSINESS TRANSACTION.

ATTN:





FIRST AND FOREMOST,I MUST SOLICIT YOUR STRICTEST CONFIDENCE IN THIS TRANSACTION AND I PRAY THAT MY DECISION Of CONTACTING YOU WILL BE GIVEN GENUINE APPROVAL CONSIDERING THE FACTS WE HAVE NOT KNOWN EACH OTHER BEFORE, I WISH TO USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE MY SELF TO YOU.
I AM MICHAEL SELORMEY FROM GHANA WEST AFRICA. I WRITE TO INFORM YOU MY DESIRE TO DO BUSINESS WITH YOU. I AM THE FIRST AND ONLY SON OF MR.VICTOR SELORMEY MY FATHER WAS THE FORMER DEPUTY MINISTER OF FINANCE, IN MY COUNTRY.MY FATHERDEAD IN KORLE BU TEACHING HOSPITAL IN ACCRA HEALTH DETERIORATED AT THE NSAWAM PRISONS WHERE HE HAD BEEN SERVING A PRISON TERM AND HE WAS SENT TO THE CARDIOTHORACIC CENTER AT THE KORLE BU TEACHING HOSPITAL.






REATMENT WHICH HE LATER DIED MAY HIS SOUL REST IN PERFECT PEACE. BUT BEFORE HIS DEATH HE REAVEALED TO ME AND MY MOTHER ABOUT THE BOXES CONTAINING: 200KILO OF GOLD AND US$12.5MD,(TWELVE POINT FIVE MILLION US DOLLARS). WHICH HE DEPOSITED WITH A SECURITY COMPANY HERE IN GHANA FOR SAFE KEEPING. PRESENTLY MY MOTHER AND MY SELF ARE HERE IN
GHANA NOW TO NOTIFY THE COMPANY FOR THE CLAIMS, AND WE ARE STAYING IN THE GHANA. IN THE HOSPITAL BEFORE THE DEATH OF MY FATHER HE CALLED ME AND MY MUM ON HIS BED SIDE, AND HE TOLD US TO SEARCH FOR A PARTNER WHO WILL STAND FOR US AS HIS FOREIGN BUSINESS PARTNER TO CLAIM THE MONEY FOR US, HENCE THE MONEY HAS BEEN RELEASE TO THE PARTNER,
THAT WE TRAVEL WITH THE PARTNER TO THE COUNRTY WHERE THE PARTNER WILL PREFARE FOR US, FOR A LUCRATIVE INVESTMENT BEST OF THE PARTNER KNOWLEGDE. MY LATE FATHER DIED 3MUNITS AFTER THIS WORDS. THEREFORE WE WANT YOU TO STAND THAT BETTER CHANCE AS MY LATE FATHERS FOREIGN PATNER TO ENABLE THE COMPANY RELEASE THIS FUND TO YOU. NOTE THAT WE HAVE ALL THE






VITAL DOCUMENT COVERING THIS FUND, THE DEPOSIT AND OWNERSHIP CERTIFICATE OF WHICH I CAN SEND TO YOU THROUGH FAX ON REQUEST, AND ALSO GOING TO CHANGE TO YOUR NAME BY MY FATHERS LAWYER AS THE BENEFICIARY OF THE FUND.
BE INFORM THAT YOUR PRESENT WILL BE NEEDED HERE IN GHANA TO SIGN UP SOME OF THE DOCUMENT THAT WILL BE CHANGED ON YOUR BEHALF, AND ALSO SEE THE MONEY WITH YOUR EYES BEFORE IT WILL BE RELEASED TO YOU. SO I WANT YOU TO LECTURE ME ON HOW BEST WE CAN INVEST THIS MONEY IN
YOUR COUNTRY, BECAUSE MY FATHER TOLD ME THAT IT IS DANGEROUS TO INVEST THIS MONEY IN AFRICA TO AVIOD SUSPICIONS, AND DUE TO MARKET INSTABILITY COUPLED WITH ECONOMIC AND






POLITICAL CRISIS FACING AFRICAN COUNTRIES, THAT IS WHY WE WANT TO INVEST IN ABROAD. FOR YOUR MUTUAL ASSISTANCE, MY MOTHER AND I HAVE AGREED TO OFFER YOU 25% OF THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF THE MONEY FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE AND 5% FOR ANY EXPENSES. NOTE:I HAVE NEVER DISCLOSED THIS
TO ANY PERSON APART FROM YOU,SO YOU HAVE TO KEEP THIS TRANSACTION AS A TOP SECRET TO YOURSELF ALONE. I WILL WANT YOU TO FORWARD ACROSS TO ME YOUR DIRECT TEL/FAX NUMBER FOR MORE INFORMATIONS ABOUT THIS TRANSACTION.I AM WAITING FOR YOUR URGENT AND POSITIVE FEEDBACK.





BEST REGARDS,
MICHAEL SELORMEY
www.voiceofafricaradio.com.


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