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

Fraud email example:

From: "Ahmed Rufus .S." <rufus_ecowasghana@latinmail.com> (may be fake)
Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2005 02:14:30 +0000
Subject: ACCOUNT PROVISION

FROM THE DESK OF AHMED RUFUS .S.
CHAIRMAN ECOWAS CONTRACT AWARDING COMMITTEE
ECOWAS FUND HEADQUARTERS
P.M.B.5028
ACCRA-REPUBLIC OF GHANA
Alternative Email: rufus_ecowasghana@zipmail.com.br

ACCOUNT PROVISION FOR USD45.5 MILLION

I am Ahmed Rufus.S. The Chairman, Contract Awarding Committee of the ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN STATES (ECOWAS) with its fund Headquarters in Accra-Ghana.
I got your information in a Professional database when I was searching through Internet for a reliable, honest and trustworthy person to entrust this business with. I was simply inspired and motivated to pick your contact from the many names in the list of the directory.
After discussing my view and your profile with my colleagues, they were very much satisfied and decided to contact you immediately for this mutual business relationship. We wish to transfer the sum of USD 45.5, 000,000.00 (Forty five million five hundred thousand United States Dollars only.)Into your personal or company’s bank account.
This fund was a residue of the over invoiced contract bills awarded by us intentionally for the supply of hard/soft wares, pharmaceuticals/ medical items, light and heavy duty vehicles, apparels and other administrative/logistics for the ECOMOG in Sierra-Leone and Liberia during the Peace Keeping Projects.
This DEAL was deliberately hatched out and carefully protected with the cooperation and mandate of the Financial Director and the Secretary of the Organization. We arranged and over invoiced the contract funds supplied by different companies from different countries during the crisis. It was our consensus to seek the assistance of a willing foreigner to provide us with the facilities to transfer this money out of West Africa.
This is borne out of our belief in the non-stable and porous political nature of this sub-region. The original contractors have been duly paid by Ecowas banker through the Central bank of Ghana and Finance Ministry. The balance is suspended in the ECOWAS grand Account awaiting claims by any foreign partner of our choice to receive the fund on our behalf Now Ecowas is intending to pay all their outstanding balance of their contractors this year as the organization is winding up its activities since the aim of returning PEACE to the countries and the coast has been achieved.
Based on the laws and ethics of employment, we as civil servants working under this organization, are not allowed to operate/own a foreign account. This is more reason why we needed your urgent assistance to provide an account that can sustain this fund for safe keeping and our future investment with your comprehensive advice, assistance and partnership in your country.
It is however agreed, as the account owner in this deal to allow you 30% of the entire sum as compensation, 65% will be held on trust for us while 5% will be used to defray any incidental charges and cost during the course of the transaction. This transaction will be successfully concluded within 14 days if you accord us your unalloyed and due cooperation.
You should provide the followings for immediate kick of this deal if it interest you; YOUR COMPANY`S NAME WITH COMPLETE ADDRESS, TEL AND FAX NUMBERS.
Upon the receipt of this information, application for claim will be sent to you to fill and return back to the organization in pursuit of the claim legally and then be forwarded to the organization for ratification and subsequent payment. As with the case of all organized (sensitive)and conspired DEALS, we solicit for your unreserved confidentiality and utmost secret in this business. We hope to retire peacefully and lead honorable business life after-wards. There are no risks involved.

Kindly expedite action if you are interested as we are behind schedule to enable us utilize this golden opportunity pay out this fund immediately which we might stand to loose, if we fail to provide a safe account for this transfer on time at the expiration of this year Ecowas has mapped out for payment of all their outstanding contractors and the dissolution of our committee. Please urgency is needed as we do not know the time our organization will start the payment hence it is necessary to start on time to forestall any hitch while transferring the fund into your designated account.
Hoping to hear from you.

With regards.
Ahmed Rufus .S.


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