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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: "Mr. Destiny Anene" <emily@cocoondc.com.au>
Reply-To: <stateinheritancecommittee@yahoo.in>
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2013 18:47:37 +0100
Subject: RE: PLEASE REPLY IMMEDIATELY!!!

Attention Honorable Beneficiary
       STATE INHERITANCE COMMITTEE IN CONJUNCTION WITH GUARANTY TRUST BANK GHANA WHICH MUST BE TREATED VERY URGENT.
We received the letter this morning alongside the scan copy of the police officer in charge of this case that some individuals claim you are dead that is why you are not writing again and said you have instructed them to claim your fund and make it via bank to bank direct to there bank account.
Bank Name: BANK OF AMERICA
Bank Address: 2075 S. Victoria Ave Ventura, CA 93003
Bank Phone Number: 800 788-7000
Account Name: Mr. Allen Smith.
Type: Checking
ABA # 322271627
Acct # 1951204345
Amount: US$2.5 Million usd
 
Please get back to us now, and if we wait for 48hrs as instructed by the police and do not hear anything from you, we will have no choice than to forward
the payment to them as you have instructed.
Meanwhile, We the State Inheritance Committee in conjunction with the Guaranty Trust Bank Ghana is to officially inform you that ATM card number: 4323 7403 8289 7729 worth Two Million Five Hundred Thousand ($2.5 Million USD) has been credited in your favor in bid to compensate you on your contract payment with the Federal Republic of Ghana since you are next on our payment file for the Second part of this fiscal Year 2013 because we want to complete every past contractors payment between now and the next 10 working days time. We have instructed the card center to prepare and send you the ATM CARD which you will use to withdraw your money in any ATM MACHINE in the world.
Your personal identification is ATM- 7997. Contact me as the verification officer Destiny Anene (Mr.) on: (stateinheritancecomitte@hotmail.com) with the following
information bellow for proper immediate confirmation and verification processing of the Card:
Full Name (as wanted on Card)..................
Delivery Address.........
Country..................
Occupation...............
Phone Number.............
Fax Number...............
Age......................
Sex:..................... Next of Kin:................
You are also required to send to the verification officer/agent a means of Identification which should be a scan copy of your Driver's License or International Passport for proper verification and authentication.
We shall be expecting to receive your information, For now you have to stop any further communication with anybody or office. On this regards, do not
hesitate to contact Mr. Destiny) for more details and direction, and also please do update me if you receive any information from any Office or Anybody apart this Office.
Please get back to us now.
Regards
Mr. Destiny Anene
STATE INHERITANCE COMMITTEE

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