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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: ucheji_z onwe <ucheji_z@yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 30 Oct 2005 01:29:34 -0800 (PST)
Subject: INHERITANCE


SUBJECT: SEEKING FOR PARTNERSHIP FOR INHERITANCE FUND CLAIM OF $12.5MUSD

ATTN: CEO/PRESIDENT

MY NAME IS Mr Ucheji Onwe I AM A STAFF OF CITIBANK NA, LAGOS-NIGERIA IN AFRICA WITH OUR HEAD OFFICE IN NEW YORK, USA. I WORK IN THE OPERATIONS DEPT WHERE I SERVE AS ACCOUNT OFFICER TO NUMEROUS CUSTOMERS I HAVE URGENT AND VERY CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS PROPOSITION FOR YOU. ON

MAY 1999,AN AMERICAN FOREIGN OIL CONSULTANT/CONTRACTOR WITH THE NIGERIAN NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION, LATE MR. MORRIS THOMPSON MADE A NUMBERED TIME (FIXED) DEPOSIT FOR TWELVE CALENDAR MONTHS, VALUED AT US$12,500,000.00, (TWELVE MILLION, FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS) IN MY BRANCH. UPON MATURITY, MY BOSS SENT A ROUTINE NOTIFICATION TO HIS FORWARDING ADDRESS BUT GOT NO REPLY.

AFTER A MONTH, WE SENT A REMINDER AND FINALLY WE DISCOVERED FROM HIS CONTRACT EMPLOYERS, THE NIGERIAN NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION (NNPC) THAT LATE MR. MORRIS THOMPSON AN AMERICAN HAD UNFORTUNATELY LOST HIS LIFE IN THE PLANE CRASH OF ALASKA AIRLINES FLIGHT 261 WHICH CRASHED ON JANUARY 31 2000, INCLUDING HIS WIFE AND ONLY DAUGHTER. YOU SHALL READ MORE ABOUT THE CRASH ON VISITING THIS SITE.

http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska.airlines.list/
http://www.nativefederation.org/history/people/mThompson.html

SINCE WE GOT INFORMATION ABOUT HIS DEATH, WE HAVE BEEN EXPECTING HIS NEXT OF KIN OR RELATIVES TO COME OVER AND CLAIM HIS MONEY BECAUSE WE CANNOT RELEASE IT UNLESS SOMEBODY APPLIES FOR IT AS NEXT OF KIN OR RELATION TO THE DECEASED AS INDICATED IN OUR BANKING GUIDELINES.

UNFORTUNATELY I LEARNT THAT HIS SUPPOSED NEXT OF KIN BEING HIS ONLY DAUGHTER DIED ALONG WITH HIM IN THE PLANE CRASH LEAVING NOBODY WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF THIS FUND BEHIND FOR THE CLAIM. IT IS THEREFORE UPON THIS DISCOVERY THAT I AND TWO OTHER OFFICIALS IN THIS DEPARTMENT NOW DECIDED TO MAKE BUSINESS WITH YOU AND RELEASE THE MONEY TO YOU AS THE NEXT OF KIN OR BENEFICIARY OF THE FUNDS FOR SAFETY KEEPING AND
SUBSEQUENT DISBURSEMENT SINCE NOBODY IS COMING FOR IT AND WE DON’T WANT THIS MONEY TO GO BACK INTO GOVERNMENT TREASURY AS UNCLAIMED BILL.

THE BANKING LAW AND GUIDELINES HERE STIPULATES THAT SUCH MONEY REMAINED AFTER SIX YEARS THE MONEY WILL BE TRANSFERRED INTO BANKING TREASURY AS UNCLAIMED FUNDS. WE HAVE JOINTLY AGREED THAT 30% OF THIS MONEY WILL BE FOR YOU AS FOREIGN PARTNER, 10% FOR CHARITY AND WHILE THE BALANCE WILL BE FOR MY COLLEAGUES AND ME. I WILL VISIT YOUR COUNTRY FOR THE DISBURSEMENT ACCORDING TO THE PERCENTAGES INDICATED ABOVE ONCE THIS MONEY GETS INTO YOUR ACCOUNT. THIS PERCENTAGE-SHARING RATIO WILL BE DRAFTED AND SEALED WITH AN AGREEMENT LETTER ON BLACK AND WHITE THAT WILL BIND BOTH OF US AND GUARANTEE OUR SHARES.

FINALLY, IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THIS DEAL, QUICKLY FURNISH ME ON THE ABOVE EMAIL ADDRESS WITH
YOUR FULL NAMES, ADDRESS, COMPLETE BANKING DETAILS AS IT WILL APPEAR IN THE CLAIMS DOCUMENTS TO THE BANK AND YOUR DIRECT TELEPHONE NUMBER FOR ORAL COMMUNICATION.
ABOVE ALL, PLEASE HANDLE THIS DEAL WITH MATURITY AND ABSOLUTE CONFIDENTIALITY.

THANKS AND GOD BLESS YOU FOR BEING OUR PARTNER.

REGARDS,

Ucheji Onwe







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