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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: "Mr. Kehinde Lawanson" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <firstbknigplc@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2014 20:50:01 +0700
Subject: REPORTS OF UNPAID FUNDS!

FIRST BANK OF NIGERIA PLC
HEAD OFFICE SAMUEL ASABIA HOUSE35 MARINA LAGOS NIGERIA
Faxline: +234-1-475826833
Our  Ref#: AFB/ACCT/10
Your Ref#: AFB/FBN/A4-F6/10
 
Attn: Beneficiary,
 
Reports of fraud, Negligence, Errors and others by Foreigners about our country; Nigeria has prompted the Federal Government to empower only our Bank; First Bank of Nigeria, PLC to find lasting solutions to these problems. The Files and all Documents relating to Foreign Affairs have been handed over to our Bank. 
 
 
This letter is written to you in order to correct and ameliorate certain problems that have arisen as a result of Frauds, Negligence, And Errors in the past. You are among the beneficiaries we have so far discovered by record and only your e-mail address is the only contact information we could retrieve for now from the past records of Stake-Holders who have not been cleared for one payments or the other and the Bank is ready to Transfer the money/fund to any country of your choice when you have replied this mail. 
 
 
 
I am Mr. Kehinde Lawanson, the Director, International Remittance Department of this Bank (First Bank of Nigeria PLC), my Boss, Mr. Stephen Onasanya,the General Managing Director/CEO of this bank is now on compulsory leave and all power have been vested on me to make all international payments. Also, due to reported cases of corrupt practices in other Nigeria Banks including the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Federal Government has revoked/cancelled all power vested on those banks and have appointed our bank (First Bank of Nigeria) to make all long overdue foreign payments. 
 
 
Your fund has been in this bank for many years unclaimed because my boss Mr. Stephen Onasanya have refused to tell you the truth on how to claim your fund this is because he has been using the interest accumulated from your fund every year to enrich himself without your knowledge. I want to help you pull out this fund to your bank account using the easiest and the quickest method, which have not been made known to you before. By this method, you will open a domiciliary account with this bank (First Bank of Nigeria ), your fund would be lodged into this domiciliary account and your fund will be paid in directly to any bank of your choice.  
 
After the transfer, you will confirm the fund in your bank account within 5-hours same day. No Cost of Transfer (COT) and no stoppage from any Government departments as the transfer will be done within the bank alone and it is very safe. The method which was introduced to you before is the Telegraphic Transfer (TT) for which confirmation was 48hrs, because of the time factor, petitions could come from various organizations stopping your payment and asking you to pay huge fee which would be difficult for you to pay so that they can benefit from the huge interest your fund generates while still in  the Bank. 
 
This method is not  safe for you because it is not done within the bank alone as information of the payment would be sent to the Central Control Unit(CCU) of the Federal Ministry of Finance and office of the Accountant General of the Federation.
 
 
As a Man of dignity, I have nothing to gain by keeping your fund, I want to assist you receive your fund before my boss resumes office.. You have to follow up and work with me now, so keep this very confidential because of fraudsters and impostors who go about presenting various bank accounts in order to divert another beneficiary's fund. Kindly reply back to me
Yours Faithfully
Mr. Kehinde Lawanson.
Chief Financial Officer
 
 
®First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Registered Office: 35 Marina Street Lagos Nigeria. Regulated by the Financial Services Authority

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