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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: "RICHARD CLAMPTON" <richardclampton2@ig.com.br>
Reply-To: richardclampton2@googlemail.com
Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2008 07:34:10 -0700
Subject: HELLO,


HELLO,

HOW ARE YOU DOING TODAY? HOPE THIS MESSAGE MEETS YOU WELL? I AM REV.FR.
RICHARD CLAMPTON, A SENIOR STAFF WITH THE WORLD BANK AUDIT GROUP IN UNITED
KINGDOM (WBAG). I AM WRITING YOU THIS LETTER BECAUSE COOL PENNY IS BETTER
THAN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. IT IS BETTER FOR ONE TO LIVE AND DIE A POOR HONEST
MAN THAN A RICH DISHONEST ONE. I AND THE CHIEF SECURITY OFFICER (CSO) OF THE
WORLD BANK ZONAL OFFICE, HERE IN UK, HAVE ARRANGED WITH AN OFFICER IN THE
COMPUTER SECTION {ENGINEER NGOYE DIAMA} TO BRING OUT PART OF YOUR TOTAL
CONTRACT SUM AMOUNTING TO US$8.3 MILLION. WHY WE DID THIS IS BECAUSE
ACCORDING TO INFORMATION GATHERED FROM THE DEBT OWNED TO THE FOREIGN
CONTRACTORS BY THE WEST AFRICAN GOVERNMENT (S), THAT YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING
FOR A LONG TIME TO RECEIVE YOUR MONEY WITHOUT SUCCESS. AS I FOUND OUT THAT
YOU HAVE ALMOST MET ALL THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS OF THE PAYING COUNTRY, IN
RESPECT OF YOUR CONTRACT PAYMENT.

YOUR PROBLEM IS THAT OF INTEREST GROUP. A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE INTEREST! ED IN
YOUR PAYMENT AND THOSE PEOPLE ARE MERELY DOING PAPER WORKS WITH YOU. ALSO WE
FOUND OUT THAT SOME OF THE OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN EXTORTING A LOT OF MONEY FROM
YOU WITH THE PRETEXT OF HELPING YOU TO RECEIVE YOUR
MONEY. I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THIS MAY LAST FOR YEARS,YET NOTHING HAPPENS, SO
I WILL ADVISE YOU DO AWAY WITH THOSE OFFICERS YOU ENGAGE WITH FOR SECURITY
REASONS.

THE MONEY IS IN ONE SECURITY-PROOF BOX WEIGHING 110KG. RECENTLY, A FRIEND OF
MINE WHO IS A DIPLOMAT DISCLOSED TO ME THAT THERE IS A COURIER SERVICE
COMPANY THEY USE TO SEND DIPLOMATIC MATERIALS,INFORMATION AND OTHER
VALUABLES FROM ONE COUNTRY TO ANOTHER. IT HAS DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY AND CANNOT
BE CHECKED BY ANY CUSTOMS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. YESTERDAY,

WE MET WITH THE SECURITY COURIER COMPANY AND FINALIZED AND CONCLUDED
ARRANGEMENTS ON HOW TO SHIP THE MONEY BY COURIER TO YOU.

WE TOLD THE COURIER SERVICE COMPANY THAT THE BOXES CONTAINED FILM
MATERIALS,AND WHEN OPEN WILL SPOIL THE MATERIALS. WE DID NOT DECLARE MONEY
BECAUSE COURIER COMPANIES DOES NOT CARRY MONEY. THIS IS SOMETHING WE WANT TO
AVOID BECAUSE THE BOXES WERE PADDED WITH SYNTHETIC NYLON AND TO OPEN
THEM,YOU HAVE TO CUT THE PAD BEFORE YOU WILL MEET THE BUTTONS THAT YOU WILL
PRESS TO OPEN THE DIAL CODE-LOCK. THERE IS NO WAY YOU CAN OPEN THE BOXES AND
BE ABLE TO CLOSE THEM AGAIN BECAUSE THEY WERE PADDED WITH MACHINE. I W!ILL
MEET THEM AS SOON AS I HAVE YOUR GO AHEAD ORDER.

THE DIPLOMAT WILL HELP ME SO WE DO NOT HAVE ANY PROBLEM. WE HAVE CONCLUDED
THAT YOU MUST COMPENSATE US BY DONATING THE SUM OF FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND
UNITED STATES DOLLARS TO CHARITY (LESS PRIVILEGES) ,AS SOON AS
YOU RECEIVE YOUR MONEY.

TO THIS EFFECT, YOU WILL SEND TO ME A PROMISSORY NOTE FOR FIVE HUNDRED
THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS. HOWEVER, DO RECONFIRM YOUR DELIVERY ADDRESS
FOR SENDING THE BOXES BY COURIER. PLEASE MAINTAIN TOPMOST SECRECY
AS IT MAY CAUSE A LOT OF PROBLEMS IF FOUND OUT THAT WE ARE USING THIS MENAS
TO HELP YOU. DO NOT EVER TELL ANYBODY ABOUT THIS UNTIL YOU HAVE YOUR MONEY.I
WANT TO HELP YOU BECAUSE SOMETHING IN ME IS TELLING ME THAT YOU ARE AN
HONEST PERSON AND YOU HAVE SUFFERED A LOT IN THE PROCESS OF REALIZING YOUR
MONEY.WHEN YOU CONCLUDE THIS AND YOU SEND OUR PROMISE,

WE WILL HELP TO SHIP THE FINAL PART OF YOUR MONEY TO YOU.

GOD BLESS YOU

YOURS FAITHFULLY,

REV. FR. RICHARD CLAMPTON

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