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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: Ms Vivian Mensa <vivian_mensah2006@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 06 Mar 2006 09:18:35 -0800
Subject: Matter of trust


Hello,

I got your contact through internet referal link, i am Ms Vivian Mensa the daughter of Late Mr Charles Kofi Mensa my late father Charles Kofi Mensa was a limited liability Cocoa and Gold merchant in LIBERIA before his umtimely death.
After his trip to GHANA ,to negotiate for a
cocoa and Gold business he wanted to invest in Ghana.
A Week after he came back from GHANA, he was attacked
with my mother by unknown assassins, which my mother
died instantly but my father died after five days in a
private hospital on that faithful afternoon. I didn't
know that my father was going to leave me after I had
lost my mother.
But before he DIED, it was as if he knew he was going
to die. my father, MAY HIS SOUL REST IN PERFECT PEACE
he disclosed to me that he deposited the sum of
$21,800,000,00 US Dollars (TWENTY ONE MILLION EIGHT
HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS) IN A SECURITY COMPANY IN GHANA .
That the money was meant for his cocoa and Gold company
he wanted to establish in Ghana.
He handed to me all the relevant documents
documents of the deposited Box and instructed me to
seek for a reliable and trust worthy partner for a non speculative
life time investment abroad.
Now I have succeeded in locating the security company
here in Ghana.
Consequently, I am soliciting for your assistance to help
me get this Box out from the security company.
If possible you can come over here in Ghana and
transfer the fund to your account overseas so that we can
invest it in any meaningful/lucrative business in your
country because this is my only hope and source of
livelihood.I will also like to know what percentage you will take for your assistance at the successful completion of the transaction
As soon as i hear from you i will forward to you all the vital documents so that you can send it to the company for claims
Forward to me your tele/fax numbers for me to have a word with you.
As soon as i hear from you i will also forward to you my private telephone number for you to reach me
I am of the opinion that you will treat this letter with strictest confidentiality
I await your response
Regards
Ms Vivian Mensa

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