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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: "george akalabi" <georgeakalabi2@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: georgeakalabi@tiscali.co.uk
Date: Wed, 09 May 2007 22:29:53 +0000
Subject: From George

From:GeorgeAkalabi
Accra Ghana.

Greetings,

I am George Akalabi,and the only surviving child of late Joshua Akalabi
who traded in gold and diamond before his assassination during the Sierra
Leone civil war, my Father , mother, and two brothers were assassinated and
burnt beyond recognition by rebels after looting cash, diamonds and gold
from my family but somehow spared my life.
Before contacting you,i have seek the advice of few elderly people around me
in the refugee camp without leting them know my plan.I was told that even if
i send this email to you,you will not beleive because of too much scam and
other ways of deceiving people.Please understand that this email is not to
let you give me money or your bank details but for you to help me in what i
feel belongs to me.Please dont be confused or have doubt about me and dont
see me as bad person because I am not.
I am contacting you in respect of the sum of $8,500.000.00 deposited by my
late father d in a security company before he died.This money is part of
money he realized from the sales of diamonds and gold by him.I got your
contact from the Ghana chambers of commerce business executives directory
and having been convinced that you are capable of handling a transaction of
this magnitude,I decided to entrust you with this great task.
My father did told me about this deposit with this security company in
Ghana before he died, and when we came to Ghana after his death we found
the security company and I confirmed that the box containing $8.5M was
still in their safe custody. Due to my refugee status,I am not qualified to
claim the deposit hence I have solicited for your help.
Note that my late father deposited the money with the security company as
family treasures for safe keeping so the security company is unaware that
the actual content is cash .
What I require of you to do for me now is your agreeing that I assign you
as the new beneficiary ( With utmost HONESTY assuring me that you will not
betray me when the box is handed over to you in your country.) by issuing
you a power of attorney and making a change of ownership which will
authorize you to contact the security company and inform them of your desire
to retrieve the deposited consignment to be shipped to you in your country.
I agree to give you 40% of the $8,500,000.00.

Please treat this matter from utmost confidentiality.

Best Regards,
George Akalabi

_________________________________________________________________
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