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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.Michel Lafont" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <milafont6@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 2 Jan 2015 15:12:46 +0100
Subject: Bank Transaction (Pls treat as urgent) 1/2/2014

From:  Mr. Michael Lafont
            Auditor-General
            Administration and Finance
            ECOWAS Commission
            www.ecowas.int
 
 
Greeting's Dear .
 
 
Subject:  Requesting your cooperation to transfer Fifteen Million United States dollars investment funds to your bank account.
 
 
I am the Consultant Auditor-General of the ECOWAS Commission, I got your contact through the West African Free Trade Database internet portal in my search of a reliable and trustworthy foreign partner and I hope we can work closely together if we can reach a mutual agreement between us.
 
 
I am seeking your sincere cooperation to move the aforementioned funds to your country for private investment because the ECOWAS Public Service Code of Conduct Bureau highly prohibits any public officeholder from operating a foreign bank account or private investment while in active service. By virtue of my status as the Head of the Audit Department, I would sincerely wish to confidentially establish an investment partnership with you prior to my retirement from public service by mid 2016.
 
 
On completion of the transfer of the investment fund to a safe bank account in your country, you will be entitled to deduct 10% of the total fund to compensate your efforts while 5% of the total funds will be mapped out to cover all envisaged expense including tax, and the remaining 85% will be invested in lucrative areas that has high return on investment pending my official retirement and subsequent visit to meet personally with you in  your country.
 
 
We shall discuss further details as soon as I receive your reply, is rest assured that this transaction is 100% risk-free. The funds will be transferred via swift without any breach of international financial law.
 
Best regards,
Mr. Michael Lafont



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