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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.

 

 

Fraud email example:

From: "officeoflee officeoflee" <officeoflee@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: officeoflee2@yahoo.com
Date: Sat, 05 Nov 2005 16:22:51 +0000
Subject: Dearest Friend

FROM:Lee Chang
HANG SENG BANK LTD.
SAI WAN HO BRANCH,
83, DES VOEUX ROAD,
HONG KONG,
EMAIL officeoflee2@yahoo.com

Dearest Friend,

Let me start by introducing myself. I am Mr.Lee Chang
staff of the Hang Seng Bank Ltd.

I have an obscured business suggestion for you.Our
client Mr.Fad Chabia who was a major rice exporter
based on the island of Sumatra,Indonesia,made a
numbered fixed deposit for 18 calendar months, with a
value of Sixty One Million, Eight Hundred and One
Thousand United State Dollars only in my branch.
Upon maturity after the December 26th 2004 unfortunate
Tsunami dissaster,several notice was sent to him,and
no reponse came from him.From the information reahing
us, We just discovered that the rice expoter and his
family were killed by the Indian Ocean Tsunami
dissaster that swept their home in Sumatra.

After further investigation it was also discovered
that Mr.Fad Chabia did not declare any next of kin in
his official papers including the paper work of his
bank deposit. And he also confided in me the last time
he was at my office that no one except me knew of his
deposit in my bank. So, Sixty One Million, Eight
Hundred and One Thousand United State Dollars is still
lying in my bank and no one will ever come forward to claim it.What
bothers me most is that according to the laws of my country , the funds will
revertto the ownership of the Hong Kong Government if nobody applies to
claim
the funds after a stipulated period.

Against this backdrop, my suggestion to you is that I
will like you as a foreigner to stand in as the next
of kin to Mr.Fad Chabia so that you will be able to
receive his funds.

WHAT IS TO BE DONE:
I want you to know that I have had everything planned
out so that we shall come out successful. I have
contacted an attorney that will prepare the necessary
documents that will back you up as the next of kin to
Mr. Fad Chabia.All that is required from you at this
stage is for you to provide me with your Full Names
and Address so that the attorney can commence his job.

After you have been made the next of kin,the attorney
will also file in for claims on your behalf and secure
the necessary approval and letter of probate in your
favor for the move of the funds to an account that
will be provided by you.There is no risk involved at
all in the matter as we are going to adopt a legalized
method and the attorney will prepare all the necessary
documents.

Please endeavor to observe utmost discretion in all
matters concerning this issue.Once the funds have been
transferred to your nominated bank account we shall
share it in the ratio of 70% for me, 30% for you .This
ratio is subject to negotiations in the course of this
venture.

Should you be interested please send me your full
names and current residential address. I will prefer
you to reach me on the email address below
officeoflee2@yahoo.com

And finally after that I shall provide you with more
details of this operation.

Your earliest response to this letter will be
appreciated as time is not on our side.

Regards,
Mr.Lee Chang


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