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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. Alfred Macarthy Bello (Duke)" (may be fake)
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 2020 05:33:06 -0700
Subject: PLEASE GET BACK TO ME ASAP !!! 187.0.30.10

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and  Natural Resources
FCDA Secretariat, Garki,  Abuja, Nigeria, West Africa
 
From the Desk of: Mr. Alfred Macarthy Bello ( Duke)
The Chief Accountant.
 
Dear Friend
PLEASE GET BACK TO ME ASAP !!!
It is with trust and confidence that I  write this urgent business proposal to you. The Internet would not have been the best way to reach you but since this letter is highly confidential and the Internet seems to be the most secure and fastest way of communication, I decided to reach you by this means.
 
I was assigned by two of my colleagues to seek a foreign partner who will assist us in providing a convenient foreign account in any designated bank  abroad for the transfer of US$118,210,000.00 pending on our arrival in your country for utilization and disbursement with the owner of the account.
 
this amount results from a deliberate inflation of the value of a contract awarded by our ministry - The Federal Ministry of Agriculture (FMA) to an expatriate company, the contract has been executed the contract long ago and agreed payment made to the original contractor, remaining the over-invoiced amount ofUS$118,210,000 (One Hundred and Eighteen Million Two Hundred and Ten Thousand united States Dollars Only), which we now want to transfer out of the country in your favor for disbursement among
ourselves. The transfer of this money can only be possible with the
help of a foreigner who will be presented as the beneficiary of the fund.
 
As government officials, we are not allowed to operate foreign accounts and this is the reason why we decided to contact you. We have agreed that if you will act as the beneficiary of this fund, 25% of the total sum will be for you for receiving the fund for safekeeping while 5% will be set aside for the expenses incurred during the cost of transfer of the fund into your account while 70%will be reserved for us.
 
We hereby solicit for your assistance in providing a convenient account number in a designated bank where this fund would be transferred. We intend coming over there on the completion of this
transfer to secure our own share of the money and you will assist us for investment.
 
Please note that we have carefully made arrangements towards the success and smooth transfer of this fund out LEGALLY before contacting you. For security reasons and confidentiality of this
transaction, we demand that you should not expose this proposal and the entire transaction to anybody.
 
We are putting so much trust on you with the hope that you would not betray us. Or sit on this money when it is finally transferred into your account.
PLEASE be rest assured that this transaction is 100% risk free and will be concluded Legally and Note that the particular nature of your business is irrelevant to this
transaction.
 
If this proposal is acceptable to you, indicate your interest without any delay by sending me your direct telephone number to discuss with you and start the documentation of the approval of Legal documents in your favor.
 
 
Yours faithfully,
 
Mr. Alfred Macarthy Bello (Duke)
The Chief Accountant, Federal Ministry Of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

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