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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: "MR JOHN OFO." <private_con003@sbcglobal.net>
Reply-To: johnofo1@w.cn
Date: Fri, 7 May 2010 14:31:54 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: ARE YOU DEAD OR ALIVE? PLEASE RESPOND.





THE NEW ELECTED MINISTER,
DR. MANSUR MUHTAR (OFR)
FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANCE,
SECRETARY: MR.JOHN OFO. 
No 5th Floor, Annex 3,New Federal Secretariat Complex,
Shangri Way, Central Area, Abuja - Nigeria.
Email:contact.john_ofo@w.cn

Attention: 
 
My name is MR.JOHN OFO,I am the personal Secretary to the new Minister of Finance,I am directed to contact you by the Minister to urgently confirm from you if actually you know one Dr.James Baker and Prof.Charles C.Soludo The Former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria and his Colleagues who claim to be your business associate/partner in Nigeria. The said people are claiming to us that you are dead that they will like to change all your Information to us as bonafide beneficiary. Below is the new banking information where they wish to have this funds transferred to:
   
Bank Of America
6901 Northwest Expressway
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73132
ABA Routing: 026009593
ACCT No: 003042656833
ACCT Name: FMS Investments Inc.
 
This development is coming now that the Ministry wants to offset all outstanding payments to all our legal foreign beneficiaries around the world in which your payment file was affected. As you may know, this Ministry have approved amount of $5.2Million Dollars.in your favour. We need to confirm from you if it's really true that you are dead and If we do not hear from you This automatically means that you are dead as informed by Dr. James Baker.
 
You are to contact me through my email address(john_ofo@w.cn) as soon as you receive this message If you are alive as to know the true position of things with you so that we will not make any mistake in remitting your outstanding payment to a wrong person. Your swift response to this mail will help a lot, Do email me with your Full Names, Account Informations, Direct Phone Number for easy communication and Scan Copy of your identity if you are alive.
 
Best Regards,
 
DR. MANSUR MUHTAR  (OFR)
FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANCE (FMF)
PERSONAL SECRETARY: MR. JOHN OFO.
 

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