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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.

 

 

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "PHIL ROBERTS" <roberts_ecobank@teamecobankplc.org>
Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2005 08:31:05 +0000
Subject: MUTUAL BENEFIT.

Phil Roberts,
Accounting Department,
EcoBank.

Dear Friend,

I am Mr Phil Roberts, Auditor, with Accounting Department, Ecobank. I got
your very good name and e-mail address from the online classified posted on
the net.I have decided to contact you purely on the personal conviction of
trust and confidence that we can co-operate with one another and do a very
lucrative business for our mutual benefit. The Business I am proposing to
you is in respect of the sum of US$11,183,000.00 (Eleven Million, One
Hundred and Eighty-Three Thousand United States Dollars Only) deposited in
Dollar account with my bank which belonged to Mr Mohamed Saleh Ibrahim who
died on 25th July,2000 in a plane crash, is an Engineering contractor.My
bank has made several efforts at contacting the family of Mohamed Saleh
Ibrahim or his relatives, but all have proved abortive as he had no
identifiable kin's men. This sum of US$11.183M have remained unclaimed ever
since then and nobody has come forward as his next of kin.

The management under the influence of our chairman and member of the board
of directors has made an arrangement for the fund to be declared
'UNCLAIMABLE' and subsequently be turned to the reserve account of the bank.
It is against the background of the foregoing, that two of my colleagues and
myself in the bank have decided to contact you for assistance and
partnership, for you to stand as the next of kin to Mr Mohamed Saleh Ibrahim
. With your permission this fund will be transferred to your private account
abroad as the beneficiary and next of kin to Mr Mohamed Saleh Ibrahim.

All proof of claim and necessary documentation will be carefully worked out
in your favour and we assure you of 100% risk free involvement and
protection. Consequently, if you find this proposal acceptable to you and
you wish to assist us, I expect your urgent response and upon receipt of
that,we shall discuss and agree on the disbursement and sharing ratio.Let me
therefore expect your very urgent response through my personal phone, or
e-mail address.

Please endeavour to include your private phone and fax number and also your
private e-mail where available. Please keep this proposal very secret and
confidential. Thank you and best regards as I await your urgent response.

Yours Faithfully,

Phil Roberts


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