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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: "Emmanuel Bentil Owusu" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ghanarefugeeboard@qatar.io>
Date: Tue, 28 Sep 2010 06:42:18 -0000
Subject: YOUR URGENT REPLY IS NEEDED..............................

ATTENTION:

THIS IS TO OFFICIALLY INFORM YOU THAT YOUR CONSIGNMENT WAS RETURNED TO THIS OFFICE AS UNDELIVERED. THE SAID BOXES CONTAINED US$26 MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS). WE HAVE AMPLE EVIDENCE HERE WITH US TO CERTIFY THAT YOU ARE THE LEGALLY APPOINTED BENEFICIARY OF THIS CONSIGNMENT. APPARENTLY, A REFUGEE BOY(NOW LATE) HAD EARLIER ON APPOINTED OR NOMINATED YOU TO BE HIS FOREIGN BENEFICIARY OF HIS TRUNK BOXES.

AS IT WERE, ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S DIPLOMATS WAS ASSIGNED WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY TO DELIVER SAME TO YOUR HOME ADDRESS OBVIOUSLY, THE DIPLOMAT COULD NOT COMPLETE HIS ASSIGNMENT FOR SOME OBSCURE REASONS. SUBSEQUENTLY,
THE CONSIGNMENT WAS RETURNED TO THIS OFFICE AS UNDELIVERED. NO SOONER THAN WE RECEIVE YOUR CONSIGNMENT WE NOTIFIED THE OFFICE OF THE GHANA MINISTER OF INTERIOR, THE CHAIRMAN LIBERIAN REFUGEE WELFARE COUNCIL, THE CAMP MANAGER OF BUJUBURAM AND IN CONSONANCE WITH THE GHANA REFUGEE LAW 1992, SECTION 9 (3) WE ARE COMPEL TO CONTACT YOU BECAUSE ALL DOCUMENTATION CONFIRM THAT YOU ARE THE BENEFICIARY AND THE ORIGINAL BOY WHO APPOINTED YOU HAS BEEN CERTIFIED DEAD HERE IN THE CAMP. COPY OF HIS DEATH CERTIFICATE WAS SUBMITTED TO US BY THE CAMP MANAGER .

I WILL ASSIST YOU TO MAKE SURE YOU DON’T LOOSE YOUR FUND BECAUSE IN YOUR DOCUMENTS I HAVE HERE, YOU DID NOT STATE THAT YOUR FUND SHOULD BE USED TO SUPPORT THIS SCHEME, I AM VERY SURE THERE IS A MISTAKE SOME WHERE THAT WAS WHY I AM WRITING YOU TO BE SURE AND HOW I CAN HELP YOU DELIVER YOUR BOXES BACK TO YOU IN YOUR COUNTRY THROUGH A DIPLOMATIC MEANS OR I CAN GO DEPOSIT THE FUNDS AT THE BANK HERE IN GHANA TO ENABLE YOU MAKE THE TRANSFER BANK TO BANK WIRE TRANSFER SO I NEED THE INFORMATION BELOW FOR VERIFICATION,

1}. FULL NAME AND ADDRESS:

2}. COUNTRY:

3}. SEX:

4}. PHONE NUMBER:

THEN WHEN YOU HAVE RECEIVED YOUR BOXES YOU CAN GIVE ANYTHING TO SUPPORT THIS SCHEME FROM YOUR OWN FREE WILL.THIS IS TO NOTIFY YOU THAT YOUR FUND HAS BEEN DEPOSITED WITH A SECURITY COMPANY HERE IN ACCRA GHANA, AS SOON AS WE HEAR FROM YOU, WE SHALL INSTRUCT THE MANAGEMENT OF THE SECURITY COMPANY EITHER TO TAKE THE BOX TO THE BANK FOR YOUR IMMEDIATE TRANSFER TO YOUR LOCAL BANK ACCOUNT IN YOUR COUNTRY OR TO DELIVER THE BOXES TO YOU IN YOUR COUNTRY VIA DIPLOMATIC COURIER SERVICE,

YOUR URGENT REPLY WILL FACILITATE THE DELIVERY OF YOUR BOX OR IMMEDIATE TRANSFER TO YOUR LOCAL BANK ACCOUNT IN YOUR COUNTRY,NOTE YOU HAVE TWO OPTION TO RECEIVE THIS BOX OF MONEY WORTH US$26 MILLION,EITHER VIA DIPLOMATIC DELIVERY OR BANK TO BANK WIRE TRANSFER,LET ME KNOW YOUR OPTION. YOU CAN REPLY ME ON MY EMAIL,{ghanarefugeeboard@qatar.io} AS SOON AS YOU READ THIS MESSAGE.

YOURS FAITHFULLY,
MR. EMMANUEL BENTIL OWUSU
CHAIRMAN GHANA REFUGEE BOARD.

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