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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: "ECOWAS OFFICE" <info@ecowas.com>
Reply-To: exsec.ecowas01@admin.in.th
Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2011 15:26:08 +0800
Subject: Message From Ecowas Head-Office

This is to inform you that your Email address have won a prize money of
US$850,000.00 (Eight Hundred and Fifty Thousand United States Dollars) as
one of the final recipients of a Cash Grant/Donation for your own
personal, education and business development for this year 2011. Based on
the email random selection exercise of internet websites and millions of
supermarket cash invoices worldwide, you were selected among the lucky
recipients to receive the award sum of US$850,000.00 (EightHundred and
Fifty Thousand United States Dollars) as charity donations/aid from the
UNDP,ECOWAS, EU and the UNO in accordance with the enabling act of
Parliament.

Your Qualification numbers is(N-222-6747,E-900-56). For claims fill the
below form and send to the payment department ECOWAS HEAD OFFICE Nigeria.

FULL NAMES:
ADDRESS:
STATE:
COUNTRY:
SEX/AGE:
MARITAL
OCCUPATION:
E-MAIL ADDRESS:
TELEPHONE NUMBER:
=============================================
SEND ALL INQUIRIES TO THE
PAYMENT OFFICER
DR. MOHAMED IBN CHAMBAS.
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, ECOWAS HEAD-OFFICE ABUJA.
EMAIL: exsec.ecowas01@admin.in.th
TEL: +234 807-892-4133
ADDRESS: BLOCK 5 ECOWAS SECRETARIAT ROAD, ASOKORO, GARKI ABUJA.
Donation pin: undp/eu/eco/39/eco143. Qualification Number: N-222-6747, E-900-56.

Thank you and Accept my hearty congratulations once again!

Yours faithfully,
Dr Shew

Anti-fraud resources: