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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: Bill Johnson <billjohnsonuk@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2008 08:16:01 +0000
Subject: ATTENTION:



INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL BANK.
TAKORADI GHANA.





DEAR SIR,
MY NAME IS MR.BILL JOHNSON, I AM THE REGIONAL MANAGER OF INTERNATIONAL
COMMERCIAL BANK TAKORADI BRANCH IN THE WESTERN REGION OF GHANA. I GOT YOUR
INFORMATION ON A RECENT BANK CONFERENCE WITH OTHER WEST AFRICAN COUNTRIES
HELD IN LOME THE CAPITAL CITY OF TOGO IN WEST AFRICA.

I WRITE YOU THIS PROPOSAL IN GOOD FAITH, I AM 56 YEAR SOLD MARRIED WITH TWO
LOVELY KIDS. I HAVE PACKAGED A FINANCIAL TRANSACTION THAT WILL BENEFIT YOU
AND I,AS THE REGIONAL MANAGER OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL BANK IT IS MY
DUTY TO SEND IN A FINANCIAL REPORT TO MY HEAD OFFICE IN THE CAPITAL CITY
ACCRA AT THE END OF EACH BUSINESS YEAR.

ON THE COURSE OF THE LAST YEAR 2007 FINANCIAL BUSINESS REPORT, I DISCOVERED
THAT MY BRANCH IN WHICH I AM THEMANAGER MADE TEN MILLION SIX HUNDRED AND
EIGHTY THOUSAND US DOLLARS($10,680,000.00) WHICH MY HEAD OFFICE ARE NOT
AWARE OF AND WILL NEVER BE AWARE OF.

I HAVE PLACED THIS FUNDS ON WHAT WE CALL ESCROW CALL ACCOUNT WITH NO
BENRFICIARY. AS AN OFFICER OF THIS BANK I CANNOT BE DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO
THIS MONEY, SO MY AIM OF CONTACTING YOU IS TO ASSIST ME RECEIVE THIS MONEY
IN YOUR BANK ACCOUNT AND GET 20% OF THE TOTAL AS COMMISSION.
THERE ARE PRACTICALLY NO RISK INVOLVED, IT WILL BE A BANK TO BANK TRANSFER,
ALL I NEED FROM YOU IS TO STAND CLAIM AS THE ORIGINAL DEPOSITOR OF THIS
FUNDS WHO MADE THE DEPOSIT WITH MY BRANCH SO THAT MY HEAD OFFICE CAN ORDER
THE TRANSFER TO YOUR DESIGNATED BANK ACCOUNT. IF YOU ACCEPT TO WORK WITH ME
I WILL APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH. WRITE ME IF YOU THINK WE CAN WORK TOGETHER
SO THAT WE CAN GO OVER THE DETAILS.


THANKS YOU IN ADVANCE AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.

YOURS TRULY
MR.BILL JOHNSON.

_________________________________________________________________
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