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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: "Sen. Ike Ekweremadu" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <sim.private1@hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2010 07:56:41 -0700
Subject: READ IF YOU CAN HANDLE!!

Sir/Madam,
 
My letter to safeguard some funds with you was submitted to you sometime ago. Since I haven't heard from you, I wanted to be sure that it was brought to your attention. I am enclosing a copy of my original proposal for your review and will be looking forward to your reply and hope that we will have the opportunity to do business together in the near future.
 
Below is a copy of my original proposal to you.
 
Permit the manner with which I am seeking your assistance but I am short of options and have no other choice. I am Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Deputy Senate President of Federal Republic of Nigeria . I head the Senates on Investigation Panel of Contracts done in Nigeria . More to that my office monitors, controls as well as approves the affairs of contract executed in the Federal Government. This means that I am also the final signatory to any transfer or remittance of huge funds on contracts and other related affairs both on the local and international scene.
 
Why do I send this long message to you? It is because I have before me a list of funds, which could not be paid to some beneficiaries as they have been identified as ghost funds, unclaimed deposits and over-invoiced contract sums etc. On this premise, I will want to have a deal with you because the name in the contract file is related to your name, this is why I have chosen you to help as we will not have problem getting approval from the Federal Government and the Senate to transfer this fund to you as the beneficiary hence I head this committee.
 
Please note that we are going to do this release/transfer legally. Can I trust you with the receipt and the secrecy of this fund? However, I believe that the lord made it possible for us to meet and to know someone is just but a day and if I am ready to see the end of an ocean I should be ready to loose the sight. This is not a joke hence you will be able to handle the amount involve. IT IS $32,480,000.00. For your trust and authenticity I will send you my ID card and Passport if you want for your perusal and I will also want you to send yours to me so that I will know you too.
 
This transaction that I am contacting you is 100% risk free as we are going to make this transfer legally. My main concern is if you can really be trusted. Honestly I look unto the lord to perfect this transaction and also pray for your honesty because this transaction is real and will be concluded with both efforts put together.
 
If you will give me assurance that you can be trusted I will go ahead to explain what we need to do and how to get this fund transferred to you as the new beneficiary today.
 
For the security of this transaction I have sort out this private email account for this purpose. Please do always contact me with this email account. (sim.private@hotmail.com)
 
NOTE: Do specify your preferred means of communication (Telephone, Fax, email) to enable a frequent updates until the funds are transferred to you.
 
Thank you, while looking forward to hearing from you.
 
Yours Sincerely,
Sen. Ike Ekweremadu
Deputy President of the Senate
Federal Republic of Nigeria
Email: sim.private@hotmail.com

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