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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: "Mr Ernest Williams" <erne_willo33@tiscali.co.uk>
Reply-To: erne_willo333@yahoo.com
Date: Fri, 9 Sep 2005 14:40:58 +0000
Subject: Its my pleasure to contact you.

Dear Sir/Madam

Greetings, Pls,I got your contact when searching for a reliable and trustworthy
foreign partner to assist me in the release,shipout, market and invest of
a 650kgs of alluvial gold dust (22+ carat) which my late father the former
traditional chief of Asokore in the Ashanti Region of Ghana deposited in
a security company in Ghana to any oversea country for investment.

My Late father Nana Opuku Williams (iv)deposited this treasure with the security
company when he was alive because tradition demands that all the valuables
in the village palace will remain intact in the case of the death of any
chief for handover to the next chief who will be the sole custodian of the
Palace and everything in it.

Sir, my late father made an Agreement with the security company that the
consignment can only be released to me at my attaining the age of 21 in case
of his death so that I will use the proceeds after sells to establish an
investment in Overseas for the family so that I and my younger sisters will
not be dependent on the traditional authority for up keeps.

He made it clear that without a foreign partner the consignment should not
be released to me because he deposited it as a family treasure, so I need
your valuable assistance by your being introduce to the Company as my late
fathers foreign partner and that you want them to deliver the consignment
to your destination.

Sir, I am promising you that this transaction is a risk free one and I want
you to assure me of the safety of the consignment from and to your country,
the proceeds of the sales and your interest and capability in handling this
business, I believe this would be concluded before 5 working days as there
is all relevant document regarding the deposit, such as the Certificate of
Deposit which was issued to my late father is now with my old sick mother.

I have discussed and agreed with my mother and my younger sister to offer
you a 15% of the amount realised as your commission if you can help us to
stand as our late father's foreign partner for the claim out from the security
company and ship out from ghana West Africa to your country for investment
overseas after selling the commodity.

It is my believe that you will be spurred by the condition of my immediate
family members if I tell you our story; since my mother is old and my sister
is at the point of entering the University to further her studies and there
is no other means of livelihood for us because my uncle who is now in the
throne does not want to see eye to eye with I and my families at all which
has made it impossible for me to go back to our village since the final funeral
rite of my late father, the former chief.

I will be glad if you agree to be of assistance to me and my family. Thanks
and God bless as I awaits your kind response. Yours faithfully,

Ernest Williams.for the family.

___________________________________________________________

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