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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: "FREDERICK FRANCE" <frederick.banking@email.ro> (may be fake)
Date: Thu, 8 Dec 2005 13:54:08 +0000
Subject: URGENT

FROM OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

BANK OF GHANA (BOG)

REPUBLIC OF GHANA

ATTENTION: PAYMENT BENEFICARY

IMMEDIATE PAYMENT OF YOUR CONTRACT INHERITANCE ON CONTRACT #:
MAV/GNPC/GH/MIN/009.


>From the records of outstanding contractors due for payment with the Government of Ghana
your name and company was discovered as next on the list of the outstanding contractors
who have not received their payments. I wish to inform you that your payment is being processed
and will be released to you as soon as you respond to this letter. Also note that from my record
in my file your outstanding contract payment is US$15.7 million dollars (Fifteen Million Seven Hundred
Thousand United States Dollars).

Please re-confirm to me if this is inline with what you have in your record and also
re-confirm to me the followings:

1) Your full name.

2) Phone, Fax and Mobile #.

3) Company name, Position and Address.

4) Profession, age and marital status.

5) Any kind of identification

As soon as this information are received, your payment will be delivered to you in cash or wired to your
bank account directly from Bank of Ghana and the copy of transfer will be given to you for you to take to
your bank and confirm it.

Get back to me as soon as you receive this mail.

Regards,

Mr. Frederick France

(Banking Supervision Department)
(Bank of Ghana)


Anti-fraud resources: