Consumer Fraud Reporting
Contract / Inheritance
Reporting on the Latest Frauds, Scams, Fake Lotteries, Spams and Hoaxes

 

Recommended:
books

Recommended
AV product:

Email Scams: Government officials with Contract / Inheritance Funds to Pay You!

Did you receive an email from a lawyer or a government, United Nations, or bank official telling you that your "inheritance" or "contract fund" payment, which had been delayed (usually due to "some error" or "some evil persons" (usually the nefarious Dr. Charles Soludo - a relative of Emperor Ming the Merciless) is now "released"?

Sorry to disappoint you, but it is a scam.

Below are links to sample actual emails of this type of scam, along with how to recognize the scam and report them. These are of a type called "The Advance Fee Fraud (AFF)" email is also known as “419” after the section of the Nigerian penal law that deals with this type of fraud. It takes many forms, we have categorized the scams below as "Orphans and Widows of wealthy diplomats, generals, presidents, etc."

How to recognize a fake inheritance / contract fund scam

Let's look at some actual emails people received and see how we can spot that they are scams. In general, notice the awesome amount of misspellings, poor grammar and run-on sentences.  Even if they weren't scams, would you go into business with someone who writes like that?

1. Sir. Eric Ben at United Nation (Un) Debt Reconciliation Department has a payment for your "contract /...
2. Nigeria, Mr.Chizoba Chinweike, FOREIGN DEBT PAYMENT OFFICE
3. The Federal Government of Nigeria, DR.(MR.)NURU RIVADU, from "THE SECRETARY NIGERIA FINANCIAL INTELLIGENCE UNIT
4. CAPT.JAMES C. WILLIAMS, United Nations Office of INTERNATIONAL FUNDS TRANSFER / AUDIT UNIT, We have actually been authorized by the newly appointed UN secretary general, and the governing body of the UNITED NATIONS monetary unit, to investigate the unnecessary delay of your inheritance/contract fund, REV (DR) STEVEN YOUNG

Copyright CFR 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009  - Definition of scam, fraud, etc. -  Legal disclaimer / corrections / complaints  -  Privacy Policy
Names used by scammers in the examples on this page and others often belong to real people and businesses who often have no knowledge of nor connection to the scammer's use of their name and information.  Sample scam emails and other documents are copies of the scam to help potential victims recognize and avoid it.  You should presume that any names used and presented here in a scam are either fictitious or used without their legitimate owner's permission.
Email us at: