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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 Douglas Mensah" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <douglaskmensah@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2016 06:05:05 -0300
Subject: Inquiry Mail For You

Dear.Sir/Madam
 
RE: PAYMENT OF US$16,000,000.00 INTEREST:
 
SIR.
 
I am Mr.Douglas K. Mensah Managing Director, Corporate Services Division and Head of Swift Transfer Unit of Guaranty Trust Bank Ghana.
 
Sometime ago in our bank your fund was brought to our bank in your name and the money is what over $160.Million US.dollars from The United-Nation/DIRECTORATE OF INTERNATIONAL PAYMENT AUDIT UNIT and after some period, the money was taken back to their treasury Account. But for the period of time this money was in our bank, it generated an interest of US$16,000.000.Sixteen Million Dollars,  which we are about to pay you Via International Certified Bank Draft or ATM and is that simple.
 
For your information and advice, you need to hasten up to pick this Fund because from time to time the United-Nation/DIRECTORATE OF INTERNATIONAL PAYMENT AUDIT UNIT'S Group auditors do come to our bank to cross-check our files and our financial update, the earlier you comply with the demands of the release of the fund, the faster the action, because when the auditors arrive and find out that this interest fund is still in our bank unclaimed they will call back the accrued interest to the United-Nation/DIRECTORATE OF INTERNATIONAL PAYMENT AUDIT UNIT'S account.
 
What we need from you now is any form of your identification for example, your International passport or your driver license, your Mobile telephone and House contact address where you will receive the ATM card and for easy communication to you.
 
As a matter of fact we don’t have enough time to waste since we have wasted time in contacting you through phone, so try and comply with the entire necessary requirement for the release of your accrued interest.
 
 
Note I have attempted to call you but all efforts failed and I had to send you a mail on this email
address which was on your payment file but if i have contacted the wrong person, kindly diregard my email.
 
Expecting your immediately response by a return on official email:douglaskmensah@hotmail.com
 
Yours Sincerely,
Mr. Douglas K Mensah
 

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