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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: "DR. EPHRAIM JAMES" (may be fake)
Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2010 19:04:21 -0800
Subject: ATM Final Payment Notification.

ATM Final Payment Notification.

This is to officially inform you that we have verified your contract file presently on my desk, and I found out that you have not received your payment due to your lack of co-operation and not fulfilling the obligations giving to you in respect to your payment.

Secondly, you are hereby advised to stop dealing with some non-officials in the bank and some of Attorney as this is an illegal act and will have to stop if you so wish to receive your payment immediately. After the Board of director's meeting held in Abuja, we have resolved in finding a solution to your problem in conjunction with World Bank, where we reassured and endorsed our signatories that all outstanding foreign payment due for the release with Bank's in Nigeria/Africa both contract and also inheritance Funds will be paid off in this present time of this fiscal year, to restore back to the business relationship lost by our passed regime of our last Government due to their selfish interest.

Therefore, I have mapped out enough funds to offset all debt owed to foreigners by the past government, And I have also instructed the Central Bank Of Nigeria (CBN) and Senate Committee on foreign payment to submit the files of all affected foreign payment for proper verification.

Then, From the records of outstanding foreign payments due for release with bank's in Nigeria/Africa by the passed regime of our past Government, your name and contact was discovered as next on the list of the outstanding foreigners'payment which are still hanging on and who have not yet received their payments.

I wish to inform you today that your payment is being processed and will be released to you as soon as you re-confirm your details, so that I can authenticate the payment legally.

Also note that from our record, the Federal Ministry OF Finance through Government of Nigeria, has only maped out for you the sum of $9.2 million (Nine Million, Two Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) to be release to you.

Kindly re-confirm to us the followings:
1) Your full name.
2) Contact Address,
3) Direct Tel/Mobile number:
4) Age,
5) Occupation

We have arranged your payment through our SWIFT CARD PAYMENT CENTRE in Europe, America, Africa and Asia Pacific; this is part of an instruction/mandate passed by the Senate in respect to overseas contract payment and debt re-scheduling. We will send you an ATM CARD which you will use to withdraw your money via ATM MACHINE in any part of the world and In receipt of the above information, your payment will be approve and pay to you by ATM CARD.

Note: Your payment is schedule to hold within 72 hours immediately you get back to me with the above mention requirement, So this letter is an evidence of notification of payment to your name and after 7 days of this letter counting from the date of dispatch without hearing from you, I shall declare your payment, A Federal Government fund and subsequently convert it into the Government coffers. This decision is binding in accordance with Article 356 Act of the laws establishing this supreme office.

Yours faithfully,

Dr Ephraim

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