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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: "Festus Agu" <festusagu@msn.com>
Reply-To: festustagu@walla.com
Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 02:23:04 +0000
Subject: WITH TRUST?


ATTN Sir/Ma

It is obvious that this proposal will come to you as a suprise.
This is because we have not met before but i am inspired to sending you
this email by the huge fund transfer opportunity that will be of mutual
benefit to the two of us.

However, I am ,the festus agu personal Attorney to the late Engr.Steve
Moore a national of Isle of Man in UK, who used to work with Shell Petroleum
Development Company(SPDC) in Nigeria. On the 21st of April 1996,my
client,his wife And their three children were involved in a car accident
along Sagamu/Lagos Express Road. Unfortunately they all lost their lives in
the event of the accident, Since then I have made several enquiries to
several Embassies to locate any of my clients extended relatives, this has
also proved unsuccessful.

After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to tracehisrelatives
over the Internet to locate any member of his family but of no avail, hence
I contacted you.
I contacted you to assist in repartrating the money and property left behind
by my client,I can easily convince the bank with my legal practice that you
are the only surviving relation of my client. Otherwise the Estate he left
behind will be confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bank where this
huge deposits were lodged.Particularly, the Bank where the deceased had an
account valued at about $27million U.S dollars(twenty seven million
U.S.America dollars).Conseqently,The bank issued me a notice to provide
the next of kin or have the account confiscated within the next ten official
working days.

since i have been unsuccesfull in locating the the relatives for over
several years now.I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin
of the deceased,so that the proceeds of this account valued at $27million
U.Sdollarscan be paid to your account and then you and me can share the
money. 55%to me and 40% to you,while 5% should be for expenses or tax as
your government may require.

I have all necessary legal documents that can be used to back up any claim
we may make. All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us see this
deal through.
I guarantee that this will be executed under alegitimate arrangement that
will protect you from any breach of the law.Please get in touch with me by
my email to enable usdiscuss further.

Yours Faithfully,

Barrister festus agu ,


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