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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: "Gilbert Benoit" <gilbertbenoit@mail2world.com>
Reply-To: barrister.gilbertbenoit@gmail.com
Date: Sat, 02 Feb 2019 07:56:10 +0000
Subject: GOOD DAY

Good day,

I am Barrister Gilbert Benoit and I work with the Economic and Financial Action Task Force (EFATF) under the African Union (AU) Financial Headquarters in Togo. Please forgive me for not disclosing my identity to you at this stage for my security in case you report me. I will tell you more about myself upon the receipt of your positive response to my proposal.

Based on numerous reports from expatriates on financial crimes and diversion of various contract/inheritance/lottery payments belonging to them especially from member nations like Ghana, Benin, Nigeria, Togo, and Burkina Faso etc. The African Union in her resolution at the last summit in Accra Ghana implemented new measures in order to checkmate such activities. They therefore mandated all banks in the African Region to submit all contract/inheritance payments files within the last ten years to the Economic and Financial Action Task Force (EFATF) for proper scrutiny so as to ascertain legitimate benefactors and have the respective funds released and transferred into their accounts of which we have concluded 12 cases and those that were cleared have received their payments fully of which we have received international commendations from the United States and EU.

It was during this process that I discovered a contract payment file belonging to Coastin Engineering Construction Company Limited with contract reference number snt/ped/war/98/2011 valued at the total sum of $US160 Million. I took great interest in this particular file and had it removed from the others when I discovered that the contractor/beneficiary of the funds is late. I carried out a thorough investigation on the payment file and I am 100% satisfied that the deceased has no known living relatives and if not for the fact that I removed the file during the last board meeting, it would have been approved for payment as it has met with all requirements and the funds would have been simply diverted and shared among the directors and nothing will ever be said about it as I am very sure that no one will ever come for it. I had the file returned back few days ago after gathering all necessary information needed as I can keep it for long.

Since I cannot put up claims for these funds based on the fact that we are not allowed to operate a foreign account which is in accordance to our Oath of Office, I therefore solicit for your assistance so that we claim the payment file with your name and have the funds released and transferred into your account for our both mutual benefit on a 50 basis without any difficulties.

I guarantee a hitch-free conclusion of this transaction and I assure you that you will never regret your involvement in this transaction. Upon the receipt of your immediate response, I will furnish you with details on what you must do immediately as we have little time on our side before a final decision will be taken on the payment file. With your immediate co-operation, this payment will be cleared and you will have the funds released and transferred into your account via bank to bank transfer with in Five working days. I need your immediate response as you are the only person I have contacted for this deal.

I anticipate your immediate response.

God Bless.
Gilbert Benoit.

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