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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: "ladi lawal" <llawal1@law-firmworld.net>
Reply-To: llawal1@excite.com
Date: Mon, 25 Jul 2005 12:11:10 +0000
Subject: PLEASE READ

BARRISTER LADI LAWAL
IGHO AZIZA LAW FIRM
ATTORNEYS/LEGAL PRACTITIONERS
NIGERIA

GOOD DAY TO YOU.

COMPLIMENTS OF THE SEASON. GRACE AND PEACE AND LOVE FROM THIS PART OF THE
ATLANTIC TO YOU. I HOPE MY LETTER DOES NOT CAUSE YOU TOO MUCH EMBARRASSMENT
AS I WRITE TO YOU IN GOOD FAITH BASED ON THE CONTACT ADDRESS GIVEN TO ME BY
A FRIEND WHO WORKS AT THE NIGERIAN EMBASSY IN YOUR COUNTRY. PLEASE EXCUSE MY
INTRUSION INTO YOUR PRIVATE LIFE.

I AM LADI LAWAL , I REPRESENT MOHAMMED ABACHA, SON OF THE LATE GEN. SANI
ABACHA, WHO WAS THE FORMER MILITARY HEAD OF STATE IN NIGERIA. HE DIED IN
1998. SINCE HIS DEATH, THE FAMILY HAS BEEN LOSING A LOT OF MONEY DUE TO
VINDICTIVE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WHO ARE BENT ON DEALING WITH THE FAMILY.
BASED ON THIS THEREFORE, THE FAMILY HAS ASKED ME TO SEEK FOR A FOREIGN
PARTNER WHO CAN WORK WITH US AS TO MOVE OUT THE TOTAL SUM OF
US$75,000,000.00 ( SEVENTY FIVE MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS ), PRESENTLY
IN THEIR POSSESSION. THIS MONEY WAS OF COURSE, ACQUIRED BY THE LATE
PRESIDENT AND IS NOW KEPT SECRETLY BY THE FAMILY.

THE SWISS GOVERNMENT HAS ALREADY FROZEN ALL THE ACCOUNTS OF THE FAMILY IN
SWITZERLAND, AND SOME OTHER COUNTRIES WOULD SOON FOLLOW TO DO THE SAME. THIS
BID BY SOME GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TO DEAL WITH THIS FAMILY HAS MADE IT
NECESSARY THAT WE SEEK YOUR ASSISITANCE IN RECEIVING THIS MONEY AND IN
INVESTING IT ON BEHALF OF THE FAMILY.

THIS MUST BE A JOINT VENTURE TRANSACTION AND WE MUST ALL WORK TOGETHER.
SINCE THIS MONEY IS STILL CASH,EXTRA SECURITY MEASURES HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO
PROTECT IT FROM THEFT OR SEIZURE, PENDING WHEN AGREEMENT IS REACHED ON WHEN
AND HOW TO MOVE IT INTO ANY OF YOUR NOMINATED BANK ACCOUNTS. I HAVE
PERSONALLY WORKED OUT ALL MODALITIES FOR THE PEACEFUL CONCLUSION OF THIS
TRANSACTION. THE TRANSACTION DEFINITELY WOULD BE HANDLED IN PHASES AND THE
FIRST PHASE WILL INVOLVE THE MOVING OF US$25,000,000.00( TWENTY FIVE MILLION
UNITED STATES DOLLARS ).

MY CLIENTS ARE WILLING TO GIVE YOU A REASONABLE PERCENTAGE OF THIS MONEY AS
SOON AS THE TRANSACTION IS CONCLUDED. I WILL, HOWEVER, BASED ON THE GROUNDS
THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO WORK WITH US AND ALSO ALL CONTENTIOUS ISSUES
DISCUSSED BEFORE THE COMMENCEMENT OF THIS TRANSACTION. YOU MAY ALSO DISCUSS
YOUR PERCENTAGE BEFORE WE START TO WORK. AS SOON AS I HEAR FROM YOU, I WILL
GIVE YOU ALL NECESSARY DETAILS AS TO HOW WE INTEND TO CARRY OUT THE WHOLE
TRANSACTION.PLEASE, DO NOT ENTERTAIN ANY FEARS,AS ALL NECESSARY MODALITIES
ARE IN PLACE, AND I ASSURE YOU OF ALL SUCCESS AND SAFETY IN THIS
TRANSACTION.PLEASE, THIS TRANSACTION REQUIRES ABSOLUTE CONFIDENTIALITY AND
YOU WOULD BE EXPECTED TO TREAT IT AS SUCH UNTIL THE FUNDS ARE MOVED OUT OF
THIS COUNTRY.

PLEASE, YOU WILL ALSO IGNORE THIS LETTER AND RESPECT OUR TRUST IN YOU BY NOT
EXPOSING THIS TRANSACTION, EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT INTERESTED.

I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.

THANK YOU.

TRULY YOURS,

LADI LAWAL ESQ


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