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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: PETER WILLIAMS <pwilliamss004@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <peterwilliamsthisday70@yahoo.es>
Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2007 23:22:11 +0000
Subject: OFFICIAL.




Attn: Beneficairy,

CONTRACT /INHERITANCE PAYMENT CONFIRMATION ORDER

I am compelled to write you in respect of your fund remittance, which
transfer has remained unsuccessful. I am very sure that you must have
lost hope of ever getting your fund transfer released especially after
all the frustrations, endless disappointment and broken promises in the
hands of some officials.
However, I am writing you because I am familiar with the history of
this fund release. My privileged knowledge and acquaintance with this
payment issue is due to my closeness and association with the immediate
past Governor of the central bank of Nigeria, Dr Joseph Sanusi, who I
worked with from 1999 until his voluntary retirement in may 2005, and in
addition to the current position which I still maintain within the Bank.
As such and must not be revealed to any other Nigerian official no
matter your cordiality and closeness.
This request must be noted in view of the fact that the current
Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Prof Charles Soludo is yet to be
briefed on some outstanding issues and information by his predecessor and
other top officials of the Bank who are not political appointees and who
have worked in the bank for more than 2decades. Briefly, I am quite
sure that you must be wondering the reason behind the non-release of your
long awaited fund after our Government officially granted approval for
its remittance. I may also believe that you would have received
countless, unconfirmed and spurious payment Advices and remittance
instructions from some officials indicating that they have granted approval for
the transfer of your fund.

You may have also been directed to visit different cities and countries
wi th the instruction that your fund would be released at such payment
post or that your fund could be delivered to you at your residence.
All these are cooked up Stories from impostors who wish to extort money
from you while they do not have any knowledge of the true position of
your fund transfer. Meanwhile, I would like you to note the following.

(1) Our government has granted irrevocable payment approval for your
fund remittance.

(2) Official release of this fund according to the record from the
office of the Accountant General of the Federation and Ministry of Finance
have been duly effected and documented.

(3) Your fund is presently being held at the HSBC bank International
Ltd. (details available with me). However for the avoidance of doubt, the
reason for the non-release of the fund by the Correspondence Bank is
due to the fact that the Bank has not received any direct instruction
about the beneficiary of the outstanding amount as the fund is still
being held in the name of the original contractor, ELBLAN IND.S.A.
LUXEMBOURG, (details available with me), in view of the non-provision of a
proof of ownership of the fund.

The original contractors in collaboration with a top official of the
Trade & Exchange department of the central bank has been rolling the fund
with the Foreign Bank and the interest is shared amongst the
officials.

If you are very certain that you will not disclose this information to
anyone, get back to me and I will give you further directives on what
you should do immediately.

NB: You are to stop further dealings with any of your Nigeria
Representatives with immediate effect, to avoid further extortion of your hard
earn currency.

Yours sincerely,
MR.PETER WILLIAMS
21/09/007.
_________________________________________________________________
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