419 scam: "Ecowas Bank for Investment and Development"<foreign.operations@bidc-ebid.org> Best regards.

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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:

This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- ",000,000" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "is 100% risk-free" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - arrests of online criminals are rare)
- "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.

Fraud email example:

From: "Ecowas Bank for Investment and Development" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <bashirifo47@mail.mn>
Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2011 08:23:27 +0100
Subject: Best regards.

Ecowas Bank for Investment and Development

Finance and Corporate Services

128 Boulevard du 13 janvier BP 2704 Lome

Website: www.bidc-ebid.org

Sir,

I got your contact in my search of a foreign investment partner. I am the Vice President Finance and Corporate Services of the Ecowas Bank for Investment and Development. I am contacting you concerning Mr. Ulrich Hradetzky that died along with his family in a helicopter crash in Tarkwa Southwestern Region of Ghana, he was a gold merchant.

Mr. Ulrich Hradetzky has an account balance of Eighteen Million Euro (€18,000,000) and 120 kilograms alluvial gold deposit in the bank's coffers. By privilege of being his personal bank account supervisor, I am searching for a suitable and trustworthy person because Mr. Ulrich Hradetzky has no other next of kin in the bank's records as beneficiary. I do not want to declare his funds as unclaimed deposit which will just be forfeited to the government and as a bank staff I cannot personally claim his deposits.

By virtue of my position, I can arrange for a legal transparent transfer of these funds to your preferred bank account as an investment partner through legal documentation by an accredited financial attorney if we can only reach a favorable agreement between both of us, please is rest assured that this transaction is 100% risk-free now and in the future. If you are willing to work with me and you have any question, please feel free to ask me for more clarifications. Thanks for your anticipated co-operation as I look forward to work with you.

Best regards,

Mr. Bashir Ifo

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam