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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: alanpoza mello <alanpozamello11@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2014 22:43:19 -1200
Subject: Dear Friend,


Dear Friend,
My name is alanpoza mello and I am the principal treasury officer with one
of the prime banks in Cote d’Ivoire. I have decided to contact you through
this medium based on a business proposal, which will be of mutual benefit
to both of us. I discovered your email through comprehensive web email
search on directory so I decided to contact you. I am the personal accounts
manager to one of our late client who used to work with as a contractor
with PETRO-CI Corporation here in Cote d’Ivoire. The late client made a
numbered time (fixed) deposited for twelve calendar months, valued at
Sixteen million five hundred thousand European Euros (€16,500,000.00) in
our bank.
Upon maturity, we sent a routine notification to his forwarding address but
got no reply. After a month, we sent a reminder and finally we discovered
from his contract employers, PETRO-CI Corporation that the client died from
an automobile accident. On further investigation, I found out that he did
not leave a will and his supposed next of kin, his wife and only daughter
died with him in that accident.
This said sum of €16,500,000.00 is still sitting in the bank and according
to the law of Cote d’Ivoire, at the expiration of five years, the money
will l revert to the ownership of the government if nobody claims it.
Consequently, my proposal is that I will like you as a foreigner to stand
in as the next of kin to deceased person for the fact that you have same
last name with him so that this money will not be reverted to the
government. If this request matches with your inward intention for success
and greatness, then you are urged to make a quick response indicating your
interest and readiness to participate and work with me to make this
successful. Please observe utmost confidentiality, and be rest assured that
this transaction would be most profitable for both of us because I shall
require your assistance to invest my share in your country. I will provide
you all information and documentation which the bank will require of you to
prove that you are the next of kin to the late customer.
I wait your quick response. To this email address(alanpoza.mello@hotmail.com)


Best Regards,

Alanpoza mello.

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