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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: Thompson Malik <judyreisberg@earthlink.net>
Reply-To: Thompson Malik <thmalik11@avoe.ge>
Date: Sat, 4 Jul 2009 06:34:53 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: CONTRACT INFO - our joint benefit

Dear Sir/Madam

I am Thompson Malik, the Financial Director/Chief Account officer of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). This Organization (INEC) was in charge of conducting Elections held in my country Nigeria on 14th and 21st of April 2007.Consequently, on April 2006, about US$90 Million was allocated to this Agency by the past Democratic Administration that is Governing the Political Sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at the time. On disbursement of the (US$90 Million) which was meant for the organization and execution of the General Elections of 2007.

At the end of the whole exercise, only about US$55 Million of the total sum was utilized in conducting all the election, leaving us my agency (INEC),with a balance of US$35 Million .Having concluded all stages of the Election and the Government-elect already in power, it was left for my office to give account of all expenses incurred in conducting the elections.While balancing the account,I and the Head of Auditing Department (Audit Director INEC) who is my partner in this transaction have been able to use our influential positions to inflate our supposed expenditure thereby having the sum of US$21.5M (Twenty One Million,Five Hundred Thousand US Dollars Only) left for us to disburse from the (INEC) treasury account with the intention of transferring the funds out of the country to any reliable foreign bank account pending when we shall come over to your country and collect our percentage which we intend to specifically invest in your country. We are particularly interested in investing our share of the fund into Real Estate Business,this will also afford an opportunity of purchasing good property/house good enough to accomodate my family and I, as I have planned to resign from this position as soon as the fund is transfered into your account.

As the Chief financial Director of (INEC) I was in charge of all the funds mapped out for the supply/contracts, I have already given a break down of my expenses to the authorities concerned showing that out of the US$90 Million mapped for the project,that US$13.5 Million was the balance left in (INEC's) Purse.That means we have made it categorically clear to them that the Total Expenditure was US$76.5Million, instead of the official US$55 Million. Meanwhile,the US$21.5 Million which was acquired through over invoicing is currently deposited with a Financial Institution awaiting proper documentations and claims to transfer the said fund into your designated bank account.

NOTE: Our reason for contacting you in this confidential transaction is due to the fact that,as Top Civil Servant working under Government Establishment/Corporation,we are not allowed to operate foreign account as it is against the new Government Code of Conduct Bureau and based on this difficult situation, we have no other option than to ask for your Assistance in transfering this fund out.If you can handle this transaction for our joint benefit, please get back to me on the phone number above so that I can give you more details on this matter, as what is required now is to register you as a Contractor who supplied Voting Materials to our Agency for the April 14th 2007 Election (ie BALLOT BOXES/PAPERS)to enable the bank transfer the fund in your favour immediately.

NOTE:Your business status does not matter in this transaction,what matters is your ability to handle the amount of this magnitude. I want you to understand that this transaction must be kept in utmost confidentiality and secrecy because of my position here.

We will discuss the percentage due when we talk.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely,
Thompson Malik

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