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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 about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "nnpcoffice0312" <nnpcoffice0312@canada.com>
Date: Wed, 22 Feb 2006 16:30:05 -0800
Subject: TRUST

TEL: 234 1 804 5662
EMAIL:jobodo67@yahoo.co.uk
DEAR SIR,
WE ARE SENDING THIS EMAIL TO YOU BASED ON INFORMATION
GATHERED FROM THE FOREIGN TRADE OFFICE OF THE NIGERIA
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY.WE BELIEVE THAT YOU WOULD
BE IN A POSITION TO HELP US IN OUR BID TO TRANSFER THE SUM
OF FORTY-ONE MILLION,FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ($41.5M
USD) INTO A FOREIGN ACCOUNT.
WE ARE MEMBERS OT THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE FOR BUDGET AND
PLANNING OF THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM,THIS COMITTEE IS
PRINCIPALLY CONCERNED WITH CONTRACT APPRAISALS AND APPROVAL
OF CONTRACTS IN ORDER OF PRIORITIES AS REGARDS CAPITAL
PROJECT OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA.WITH OUR
POSITIONS, WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY SECURED FOR OURSELVES THE
SUM OF FORTY-ONE MILLION,FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATE
DOLLARS(US$41.5M).THIS AMOUNT WAS ACCUMULATED THROUGH
UNDECLARED WINDFALL FROM SALES OF CRUDE OIL DURING THE GULF
WAR.
WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU IS TO PROVIDE A SAFE ACCOUNT INTO
WHICH THE FUNDS WILL BE TRANSFERRED SINCE GOVERNMENT
OFFICIALS ARE NOT ALLOWED BY OUR LAWS TO OPERATE FOREIGN
ACCOUNT.IT HAS BEEN AGREED THAT THE OWNER OF THE ACCOUNT
WILL BE COMPENSATED WITH US$8.3MILLION OF THE REMITTED
FUNDS,WE KEEP US$31.125MILLION WHILE US$2.075MILLION WILL BE
SET ASIDE TO OFFSET EXPENSES AND PAY THE NECCESSARY TAXES.
IT MAY INTEREST YOU TO KNOW THAT TWO YEARS AGO A SIMILAR
TRANSACTION WAS CARRIED OUT WITH ONE MR.PATRICE MILLER THE
PRESIDENT OF CRAINE INTERNATIONAL TRADING CORPORATION AT
NUMBER 135, EAST 57TH STREET, 28TH FLOOR ,NEW YORK. 10022
WITH TELEPHONE NUMBER(212)308-7788 AND TELEX NUMBER 6731689,
AFTER THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN BOTH PARTNERS IN WHICH HE WAS TO
TAKE 5%. THE MONEY WAS DULY TRANSFERRED INTO HIS ACCOUNT
ONLY TO BE DISAPPOINTED ON OUR ARRIVAL IN NEW YORK AS WE
WERE RELIABLY INFORMED THAT MR.PATRICE MILLER WAS NO LONGER
ON THAT ADDRESS WHILLE HIS TELEPHONE AND TELEX NUMBERS HAVE
BEEN REALLOCATED TO SOMEBODY ELSE, THAT IS HOW WE LOST
US$27.5MILLION TO MR.PATRICE MILLER.
THIS TIME AROUND WE NEED A MORE RELIABLE AND TRUSTHWORTHY
PERSON OR A REPUTABLE COMPANY TO DO BUSINESS WITH HENCE THIS
EMAIL TO YOU, SO IF YOU CAN PROVE YOURSELF TO BE TRUSTED AND
INTERESTED IN THIS DEAL THEN WE ARE PREPARED TO DO BUSINESS
WITH YOU.WHAT WE WANT FROM YOU IS THE ASSURANCE THAT YOU
WILL LET US HAVE OUR SHARE WHEN THIS AMOUNT OF US$41.5M IS
TRANSFERRED INTO YOUR ACCOUNT.
IF THIS PROPOSAL SATISFIES YOU, PLEASE REMEBER TO SEND YOUR
FAX AND TELEPHONE NUMBER ON YOUR RESPONSE, SO WE CAN ADVICE
YOU ON THE MODALITIES OF THE TRANSACTION ORCALL US THROUGH
THE TELEPHONE NUMBER ABOVE . ALL MODALITIES OF THIS TRANSFER
HAVE BEEN WORKED OUT AND ONCE STARTED WILL NOT TAKE MORE
THAN 14 WORKING DAYS, WITH THE ABSOLUTE SUPPORT OF ALL
CONCERNED. THIS TRANSACTIN IS 100% SAFE.
I MIGHT BE DIFFICULT FOR YOU TO GET THROUGH TO ME BECAUSE OF
MY COUNTRY POOR TELECOMMUNICATION SYSTEM, ANY TIME YOU TRY
TO REACH ME AND YOU GET BUSY SIGNAL PLEASE KEEP TRYING YOU
WILL DEFINITELY GET THROUGH.
PLEASE TREAT AS URGENT AND VERY CONFIDENTIAL.GOD BE WITH YOU
AS I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR REPLY.
NOTE: REMEBER TO USED THE ABOVE EMAIL ADDRESS ON YOUR
REPLY.
YOURS FAITHFULLY,
DR. JOHN OBODO

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