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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: "MINISTRY OF FINANCE" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <AWILLARD@Big-Orange.com>
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2010 09:32:56 -0700
Subject: US$21 MILLION APPROVED/ ENLISTED.

From The Official Desk Of Dr. Ama Willard Federal Ministry Of Finance FCT-Abuja, Nigeria Ref; FGN-FMF/490000410A Attention: Honorable Beneficiary, Irrevocable Payment Approval of US$21 Million part payment of your fund We apologize, for the delay of your payment and all the inconveniences and inflict that we might have indulged you through. However, we were having some minor problems with our payment system, which is inexplicable, and have held us stranded and indolent, not having the aspiration to devote our 100% assiduity in accrediting foreign payments. It might interest you to note the New Finance Minister (Olusegun Aganga ) /Chairman, Senate Committee on Local & Foreign Debt Payment, Sanusi Lamido ( CBN-Governor) has recovered your funds and Approved your payment. Your file has been submitted/ enlisted to my table for prompt payment. In this regard, kindly reconfirm below information to my office immediately for proper identification. 1) Your Full Name(s) 2) Your Address . 3) Your Home Phone Number and Your Cell phone numbers 4) Occupation 5) Your international passport / Drivers License / I.D card Upon the proper identification, I will immediately issue you with the Fund Release document from the PRESIDENCY, which is called PRESIDENTIAL RELEASE ORDER (10PAGE). It might interest you to note that the issue of payment has been withdrawn from every other Banks/Ministries/ Offshore Centre due to unpatriotic/Bureaucratic and unprofessional system of the officials which instead of releasing funds to the approved beneficiaries they turn in charging unofficial fees. Information was given that you have sold your fund payment/inheritance to one Mr. Clifton Douglas Townsend of Texas United States of America and that all documents regarding to the payment should go to Mr. Clifton D. Townsend and fund should be transfer to his below stated bank account. Bank: Citi Bank Texas NA. A/C #: 9772524019 Routing # 113193532 A/c Name: Clifton Douglas Townsend I want you to confirm the above stated information if they are correct, to enable us move forward on the reform program.. Waiting for your urgent reply via return mail for immediate conclusion of your payment, Yours Faithfully, Dr. Ama Willard Director, Telex/International Remittance department Federal Ministry of Finance, Abuja Nigeria.

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