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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: Federica Scondanibbio <infoadmin@ranhel.com.br>
Reply-To: info@sormazgroup.com
Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2023 19:41:58 -0300
Subject: Letter From Federica Scondanibbio



--
Greetings,


I know my letter will come to you as a surprise based on the fact that
we don't know each other before, but first of all let me introduce
myself to you. I am Federica Scondanibbio, working with a bank here in
my country. I have a confidential business proposal I want to do with
you. I decided to contact you based on the fact that you bear the same
surname with our late client, an oil merchant residing in Iraq. He moved
his money from Iraq to my country for investment purposes and went back
to Iraq to bring his entire family to the country but he died in a Bomb
Blast with his entire family 9 years ago.


The Deceased client deposited the sum of $48,000,000,00 US Dollars
(Forty Eight Million US Dollars) in our bank here in my country before
he died. Of which I have all the documents in my possession as his
account officer, I want to present you to the bank as the next of kin to
the deceased person since you bear the same surname as him. You can
easily make this deal with me because I am his account officer and
nobody else knows about this deposit. He died a few months after the
deposit was made. I have tried to search for any member of his family
but could not get to anyone and the bank management cannot release it
unless somebody applies for it as the next of kin or relation to the
deceased person as indicated in the banking guideline but unfortunately
he died alongside with his wife and two children at the Bomb Blast
leaving nobody behind for the claim.


It is therefore upon this that I decided to make this business proposal
to you so that you will apply as a relation to the deceased for safety
and subsequent disbursement since nobody knows about this deposit and I
don’t want this money to go into the Bank treasury as unclaimed funds or
declared to the government which they will confiscate it. The request of
a foreigner as next of kin in this business is occasioned by the fact
that he was a foreigner, and it will be better for you to stand as a
relation to him since you bear the same surname with him.


I am the only one that knows about this transaction, I agree that 45% of
this money will be for you as foreign partner, in respect to the
provision of a foreign relationship, while 45% will be for me. Then the
remaining 10% will be used for charity to help the less privileged.
Thereafter I will visit your country for disbursement according to the
percentages indicated. Therefore to enable the immediate transfer of
these funds to you as arranged, you must apply first to the bank as
relation or next of kin of the deceased indicating your application for
the withdrawal of these funds to your nominated bank account before
applying I will give you the necessary information you will need to know
about the deceased deposit.


When responding I need your personal mobile phone number for easy and
effective communication upon receipt of your reply, I will send to you
by email the text of the application which you will send to the bank and
every order documents required. I will not fail to bring to your notice
that this transaction is hitch free and you should not entertain any
atom of fear. Trusting to hear from you immediately if you are
interested. Kindly ignore it entirely if you are not interested.


Best regards,
Federica Scondanibbio

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