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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: "Bernard" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <drphilbernard2000@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 25 Aug 2016 04:24:55 -0700
Subject: Investment Trust Fund.....

Re: Strictly Confidential Transaction
DearSir/Madam,
 
I am Dr. Phil E. Bernard, a native of Accra, Ghana and I am an Executive Accountant with the department of contract award on natural resources Petroleum Commission, Ghana. Please accept my apology for using this medium to convey a transaction/business of this magnitude, but this is due to the confidentiality and prompt access reposed on this medium. I have decided to seek your co-operation in the execution of this deal described hereunder, for the benefit of all parties and hoping you will keep it as TOP SECRET because of the nature of the business.
 
Within the department of Contract Award and Natural Resources (where I work as a director), and with the cooperation of two other top officials, we have in our possession as overdue contract payment bills of Twenty Eight Million, Eight Hundred Fifty Thousand United States Dollars (US$28.850M), which we want to transfer abroad with the assistance and cooperation of a company/or an individual to receive the said funds, via a reliable Bank Account. Quite frankly, we are handicapped as the Ghanaian civil service laws (Code of Conduct Bureau) strongly prohibits us from owning/or operating a foreign account hence your importance in this whole transaction.
This amount (US$28.850M) represents the balance of the total value of a contract executed on behalf of my department by a foreign contracting firm which we the officials (involved) deliberately over-invoiced. Though the actual cost have been paid to the original contractor leaving the balance in the tune of the said amount which we have in principle gotten approval to remit by Key Tested Telegraphic transfer (K.T.T.) to any foreign bank account you will provide by filling an application through the justice ministry here in South Africa for the transfer of rights and privileges of the former contractor to you.
 
I have the authority of my partners involved to propose that should you be willing to assist us in this transaction by way of providing the required account in receiving these funds, your share of the entire sum will be 30%, while 60% will be for us and the remaining 10% will be used to settle taxation and other miscellaneous expenses in the course of transferring the funds to your account. The business itself is 100% fool-proof and safe, as long as you maintain utmost secrecy and confidentiality. Further, your area of specialization will not be a hindrance to the successful completion of this transaction. I have reposed my confidence in you and hope you will not disappoint me. Should you be willing to assist positively with a common goal, endeavour to contact me immediately through the above email address:drphilbernard2000@yahoo.com, for further details. 
 
 
If you are not interested, please also indicate so that it will enable me to contact other foreign partner with recommendations to carry out this deal. I want to assure you that my colleagues and I are in position to make the payment of this claim possible provided that you can give us a very concrete assurance of the safety of our share. Please, alway streat this matter with utmost confidentiality, because we will not comprehend any form of exposure as we are still in active government service. Time is of essence in this business, so kindly act fast.
I await in anticipation your fullest co-operation.
Yours Faithfully,
 
Dr.Phil E. Bernard.
 

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