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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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Fraud email example:

From: "Leonard Buteaku" <leonard_buteaku2@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: leobuteaku@myway.com
Date: Wed, 14 Dec 2005 17:50:13 -0600
Subject: URGENTLY ( GETBACK TO ME IMMIDIATELY )

FIRST BANK NIGERIA PLC
>From the desk of: Mr Leonard buteaku
Head Office
11B Akin Adesola Street
Victoria Island.
Lagos Nigeria.

Private email: leobuteaku1@myway.com

DEAR FRIEND,

I am Mr Leonard buteaku, Branch Manager with FIRST BANK NIGERIA PLC. I am
writing this letter to ask for your support and cooperation to carry out
this business opportunity in my department. We discovered an abandoned sum
of ($25.5 million u.s.dollars) in an account that belongs to one of our late
foreign customer who died in the Ikeja bomb blast of the Febuary 2, 2002 my
client, his wife, and their two children were involved in Ikeja bomb blast
unfortunately they lost their lives in the process of the bomb blast. Since
we heard of his death, we have been expecting his next-of-kin to come over
and make claims for his money as the next of kin to the deceased, because we
cannot release the fund from his account unless someone applies for claim as
the next-of-kin to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines.
Unfortunately, neither their family member or distant relative has ever
appeared to claim the said funds.Upon this discovery, I and other officials
in my department have agreed to make business with you and release the total
amount ($25.5 million u.s.dollars) to you as the next of kin to the deceased
since no one came for it or discovered his maintained account with our
bank, otherwise the fund will be returned to the banks treasury as
unclaimed fund. We have agreed that our ratio of sharing will be as stated
thus; 30% for you as foreign partner, 65% for us the officials in my
department and 5% for the settlement of all local and foreign expenses
incurred during the course of this business. Upon the successful completion
of this transfer, I and one of my colleagues will come down to your country
and mind our share. It is from our 65% we intend to import Agricultural
Machineries into my country as a way of recycling the funds. To commence
this transaction, we require you to furnish us with the following
information below:-

1) Your Full Name
2) Your Residential Address
3) Your Telephone Number
4) Your age
5) Occupation / Marital Status

Upon receipt of the above information from you, we will contract an attorney
who will secure all the required legal documents from the Federal High Court
proving you as the next of kin to the deceased, and also to enable us file
letter of claim to the appropriate departments fornecessary approvals before
the transfer can be made. I look forward to receiving your prompt response
through my private email address ( leobuteaku1@myway.com )

Best regards,
MrLeonard buteaku

For confirmation, please refer to the links below:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/2718295.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/worald/africa/2698081.stm
http://www.worldsocialist-cwi.org/index2.html?/eng/2002/02/02.html


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