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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: SANI AHMED <sani_ahmed_cb@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2010 04:45:47 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Confirm Urgently



It has been a long time that we discussed about your payment.
I want to sincerely inform you that the payment can not be actualized by direct transfer or diplomatic delivery, because of financial regulation in United States banks.
 
With my experience so far in transferring fund of such volume, we always experience rejection and stoppage by international financial regulations and the beneficiary bank even after paying all the charges involved; in as much as we want to make the transfer to you, the question is how to transfer it without any stoppage; You should also consider how much effort made so far in this payment both by diplomatic, offshore and direct transfer, all the efforts yielded no result. I want to advise you to stop wasting your precious time and money to people that will never tell you the truth in other to enrich themselves, based on the regulations and measures that has been put up by US reserve board  in such financial transaction which has caused you so much, I have worked out something and have concluded with a better option  tested and proved, based on the experience, I will advise you open a non-residential transit account with a local bank here in Nigeria so
that the fund can be deposited in there while you request for your international ATM Card, this will be sent to you and you can use it for withdrawal  and for any other of transaction in the world.
Making a direct transfer, diplomatic deliver has been a nightmare in the past and will continue to be, that is why you have been experiencing frequent stoppage of your fund each time you make an attempt.
We have had so many cases where some group of people project themselves as a government or financial organizations personality, telling some beneficiaries to pay money to send an ATM card which never exist.
 
What you will ask your self is; how does ATM work? ATM card can only work for an individual that has an account in a bank, when you transact or withdraw with the ATM card, the fund will be debited from your account which is linked to the ATM card issued to you.
Now, do you have such an account?
Precisely, ATM card is issued from a bank which you have an account.
 
This option helps beneficiaries avert the upfront transfer charge etc, no charge will be demanded from you except the minimum opening account deposit which still belong to you.
 
The bank will take care of the ATM card’s shipment fee (cost of sending the card).
 
On the contrary if you want to receive it by normal bank transfer it is your choice but my advice is to open an account get an ATM and start withdrawing your fund from your city.
 
You can be requesting for your statement of account and balance sheet at any time starting from the time the account was opened. This will be sent to you by fax or email at your wish.
 
Confirm the acceptance of this fax.
 
Yours faithfully
 
 
 
Mr. Sani Ahmed
Accountant General (FRN)



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