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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: <torion@ukrpost.net>
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2015 23:46:36 +0300 (EEST)
Subject: URGENT



Hello Friend

I Am Mr Elvis D.Poku, a banker here in Ghana . I write you this proposal in good faith hoping that I will rely on you. In 2010, Mr Richard Zhou who has your country in his file as his place of origin, made a fixed deposit , valued at US$30,500,000.00 with my bank. I was his account officer. Unfortunately, while on a business trip, he died in a deadly Tsunami earthquake that occrred on March 11, 2011 in Sendai Japan that killed many people.
The management of our bank have been finding a means to reach him so as ascertain if he will want to roll over the Deposit or have the contract sum withdraw , when I discovered that this will happen, I learn t of his death, so I have tried to think up a procedure to preserve this fund and use the proceed for charity. Some directors have been trying to find out from me the information about this account and the owner, but I have kept it closed because, I know that if they become aware, they will corner the funds for themselves.

Therefore, I am seeking your co-operation to present you as the one to benefit from his fund at his death since you have the same name, so that my bank head quarters will pay the funds to you. I have done enough inside bank arrangement and only have to put in your details into the information network in the bank computers and reflect you as his next of kin.

I immensely request for your optimum honesty and cooperation and Let me know your mind on this, and please do treat this information as Top secrete. We shall go over the details once I receive your urgent response strictly through my personal email address, elvisd.poku@yahoo.com.tw we can as well discuss this on phone. Send me your phone number for easy communication anticipating your communication.

Best Regards,
Mr. Elvis D.Poku

Anti-fraud resources: