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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 Commission" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ecowas.commission@rediffmail.com>
Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2012 20:11:38 +0100
Subject: RE: RESOLUTION ON IMMEDIATE APPROVAL OF YOUR CONTRACT INHERITANCE FUND

ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN STATES
ECOWAS COMMISSION
Office of the Administration and Finance
Ecowas Secretariat, 101, Yakubu Gowon Crescent,
Asokoro District P.M.B. 401 Abuja, Nigeria.
 
REF: ECOWAS/AF-EC/NG-01/12                               Website:www.ecowas.int
 
ATTN: BENEFICIARY                                                 DATE: 25 – 06 – 2012
 
RE: RESOLUTION ON IMMEDIATE APPROVAL OF YOUR CONTRACT INHERITANCE FUND.
 
IN THE STRENGTH OF THE MEETING HELD ON 18TH JUNE, 2012 AT ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN STATES SECRETARIAT ABUJA, WITH ALL THE FIFTEEN WEST AFRICAN HEADS OF STATE AND MEMBERS OF THE (ECOWAS) PARLIAMENT, UNITED NATIONS AND WORLD BANK DIGNITARIES OVER NON-PAYMENT OF FOREIGN CONTRACTORS FUND BY THE ECOWAS MEMBER STATES COUNTRIES LIKE NIGERIA, TOGO, BENIN REPUBLIC, SIERRA LEONE, LIBERIA, GHANA, GAMBIA, SENEGAL, MALI, GUINEA BISSAU, GUINEA, NIGER, COTE D’ IVOIRE, BUKINAFASO, CAPE VERDE, ETC.
 
WE THEREFORE APOLOGIES FOR THE UNLAWFUL DELAYS OF YOUR FUND BY THE ABOVE MENTION COUNTRIES CENTRAL BANK AND OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS. BE INFORMED THAT UNDER SECTION 115A SUBSECTION 22B PARAGRAPH 1B OF THE ECOWAS CONTRACTUAL CODE OF CONDUCT, IT IS ESTABLISHED THAT CONTRACT OF THE ABOVE MAGNITUDE REQUIRES AN APPROVED TELEGRAPHIC TRANSFER BY THE (ECOWAS) PARLIAMENT AS THE CONTRACT AWARD ORIGIN, ON NO ACCOUNT WILL ANY INSTITUTION TRANSFER THROUGH DIPLOMATIC MEANS OR CASH TO THE RIGHTFUL BENEFICIARY, IT IS STATED TOO THAT AN INSTRUMENTAL PAYMENT WITH INTEREST IS DISALLOWED, BE WARNED ABOUT ANY PERSON OR OFFICIALS THAT WILL INSTIGATE YOU TO CONTRADICT THIS ISSUE AS YOUR FUND HAS NO INTEREST. THIS WILL DEFINITELY SUBJECT YOUR CONTRACT FUND TRANSFER TO DEADLOCK IF YOU ARE A
PARTY.
 
IN THESE REGARDS, WE HAVE MAPPED OUT US$15BILLION TO OFFSET ALL DEBT OWED TO CONTRACTORS BY THE ABOVE MENTION ECOWAS MEMBER STATES.  I HAVE INSTRUCTED ALL THE ECOWAS MEMBER STATES TO SUBMIT THE FILES OF ALL AFFECTED CONTRACTORS TO ECOBANK NIGERIA PLC FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF THEIR FUND WITHOUT DELAY, AS WE HAVE CONCLUDED NOW TO PAY ALL CONTRACTORS ORIGINATED FROM ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN MEMBER STATES ONLY, THROUGH OUR CONSOLIDATED ACCOUNT TO THE BENEFICIARY’S ACCOUNT.
 
THIS IS IN ALLIANCE TO THE ECOWAS HEADS OF STATES BUDGET OF THIS FISCAL YEAR 2012.  YOU ARE THEREFORE ADVICE TO CONTACT MR. EDDY OGBOGU, THE GROUP EXECUTIVE, OPERATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY OF ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN STATES BANK (ECOBANK PLC) IMMEDIATELY YOU RECEIVE THIS OFFICIAL LETTER ON HIS 24 HOURS TEL: +234-812-602-3488, E-MAIL: eddyogbogu@gmail.com AS TO EDUCATE YOU ON HOW AND WHEN YOUR FUNDS WILL BE IN YOUR ACCOUNT BECAUSE DELAYS IS DANGEROUS AND YOU SHOULD STOP EVERY COMMUNICATION WITH ANY OTHER OFFICE(S).
 
BE GUIDED.
 
MRS. KHADI RAMATU SACCOH
COMMISSIONER, ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE

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