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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: "Mr Ogba Tete" <ogbatete@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: mrogbatete@katamail.com
Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2005 12:18:03 +0000
Subject: FROM: MR. OGBA TETE

FROM: MR. OGBA TETE
ACCOUNT DEPARTMENT
UNION BANK OF NIGERIA PLC
MARINA- BRANCH, LAGOS.


ATTN : THE MANAGING
DIRECTOR/CEO

DEAR SIR,

RE:TRANSFER OF THE SUM OF US$20.5M DOLLARS INTO YOUR ACCOUNT FIRST,I MUST
SOLICIT YOUR CONFIDENCE IN THIS TRANSACTION.THIS IS BY VIRTUE OF IT'S NATURE
AS BEING UTTERLY CONFIDENTIAL AND TOP SECRET.THOUGH I KNOW THAT A
TRANSACTION OF THIS
MAGNITUDE WILL MAKE ANYONE APPREHENSIVE AND WORRIED. BUT I AM ASSURING YOU
THAT ALL WILL BE WELL AT THE END OF THE DAY.WE HAVE DECIDED TO CONTACT YOU
THROUGH THIS MEDIUM DUE TO THE URGENCY OF THIS TRANSACTION AS WE HAVE BEEN
RELIABLY INFORMED OF YOUR DISCRETENESS AND ABILITY. LET ME START BY
INTRODUCING MYSELF TO YOU.


I AM MR. OGBA TETE, A SENIOR ACCOUNTANT WITH THE UNION BANK OF NIGERIA PLC.
MARINA BRANCH OFFICE LAGOS.I CAME TO KNOW ABOUT YOU IN MY PRIVATE SEARCH FOR
A RELIABLE AND REPUTABLE PERSON TO HANDLE THIS CONFIDENTIAL TRANSACTION AS
WE ARE STILL IN ACTIVE SERVICE. THE PROPOSITION. AN CANADA NATIONAL,LATE
ENGINEER JEFFREY LANDERCASPER,AN OILMERCHANT/CONTRACTOR WITH THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA,UNTIL HIS DEATH THREE YEARS AGO IN A GHASTY AIR CRASH
IN AN EGYPTIAN AIRLINE,BANKED WITH US HERE AT UNION BANK OF NIGERIA PLC.
MARINA BRANCH LAGOS,AND HAD A CLOSSING BALANCE OF US$20.5M USD WHICH THE
BANK UNQUESTIONABLY EXPECTS IT TO BE CLAIMED BY ANY AVAILABLE FOREIGN
NEXT-OF-KIN TO THE LATE BENEFICIARY OR
ALTERNATIVELY BE DONATED TO A DISCREDITED TRUST FUND FOR THE PURCHASE OF
ARMS AND AMMUNITIONS AT THE MILITARY WAR COLLEGE IN KADUNA STATE HERE IN
NORTHERN NIGERIA.SEQUEL TO THIS,FERVENT VALUABLE EFFORTS WERE MADE BY UNION
BANK PLC.TO GET IN TOUCH WITH ANY OF THE MIGUEL'S FAMILY OR RELATIVES BUT
PROVEDTO NO AVAIL.

IT IS BECAUSE OF THE PERCEIVED POSIBILITY OF NOT BEING ABLE TO LOCATE ANY OF
THE LATE ENGR.JEFFREY LANDERCASPER [NEXT-OF-KIN] HE HAD NO KNOWN WIFE AND
CHILDREN) THAT THE MANAGEMENT UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF OUR HONOURABLE CHAIRMAN
AND MEMBERS
OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS,(Retired)MAJOR-GENERAL KALU UKE KALU THAT AN
ARRANGEMENT BE MADE FOR THE FUND TO BE DECLARED UN-CLAIMABLE" AND
SUBSIQUENTLY BE DONATED TO THE TRUST FUND FOR THE PURCHASE OF ARMS AND
AMMUNITON TO FURTHER ENHANCE THE COURSE OF WAR IN AFRICA AND THE WORLD IN
GENERAL.IN ORDER TO AVERT THIS CRUDE AND NEGATIVE DEVELOPMENT,SOME OF MY
TRUSTED COLLEAGUES AND I NOW SEEK YOUR PERMISSION TO HAVE YOU STAND AS THE
NEXT-OF-KIN TO LATE ENGR. JEFFREY LANDERCASPER, SO THAT THE FUND US$20.5M
WOULD BE RELEASED AND PAID INTO YOUR ACCOUNT AS THE BENEFICIARY'S NEXT-OF
-KIN. ALL DOCUMENTS AND PROVES TO ENABLE YOU
RECIEVE THIS FUND WILL BE CAREFULLY WORKED OUT AND MORESO AS PROFESSIONAL
BANKERS, WE ARE ASSURING YOU OF 100% RISK-FREE INVOLVEMENT. YOUR SHARE IS
25% WHILE 10% WILL BE FOR THE EXPENSES THAT MIGHT ARISE AND THE REST WILL BE
FOR MYSELF AND MY COLLEAGUES FOR INVESTMENT PURPOSES IN YOUR COUNTRY.


IF THIS PROPOSAL IS ALRIGHT BY YOU,THEN KINDLY GET TO ME IMMEDIATELY THANK
YOU IN ANTICIPATON OF YOUR CO-OPERATION

YOURS FAITHFULLY,

MR. OGBA TETE


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