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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: "FROM BANK" <mr_6smith@excite.com>
Reply-To: mrsmithrobinsonukman@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Sun, 29 Apr 2007 18:17:32 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re:IMPORANT TRANSACTION







DEAR FRIEND
I WANT TO TRANSFER OUT (THIRTY MILLION POUNDS STERLING) FROM OUR BANK HERE IN SCOTLAND. I HAVE THE OURAGE TO LOOK FOR A RELIABLE AND HONEST PERSON WHO WILL BE CAPABLE FOR THIS IMPORTANT TRANSACTION, BELIEVING THAT YOU WILL NEVER LET ME DOWN EITHER NOW OR IN FUTURE.
I AM, MR ROBINSON SMITH, THE AUDITOR AND COMPUTING STAFF OF A BANK HERE IN SCOTLAND UNITED KINGDOM. THERE IS AN ACCOUNT OPENED IN THIS BANK IN 1995 AND SINCE 2001 NOBODY HAS OPERATED ON THIS ACCOUNT AGAIN, AFTER GOING THROUGH SOME OLD FILES IN THE RECORDS, I DISCOVERED THAT IF I DO NOT REMITT THIS MONEY OUT URGENTLY, IT WILL BE FORFEITED FOR NOTHING.
HOW THE MONEY CAME ABOUT:
THE OWNER OF THIS ACCOUNT IS MR JOHN HUGHES A FOREIGNER AND THE MANAGER OF PETROL CHEMICAL SERVICE HERE IN LONDON, A CHEMICAL ENGINEER BY PROFESSION AND HE DIED SINCE 1995.AND THEN,SINCE 2001, NOBODY KNOWS ABOUT THIS ACCOUNT OR ANYTHING CONCERNING IT, THE ACCOUNT HAS NO OTHER BENEFICIARY AND MY INVESTIGATION PROVED TO ME AS WELL THAT HIS COMPANY
DOES NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS ACCOUNT AND THE AMOUNT INVOLVED IS (£30,000,000.00) POUNDS STERLINGS I WANT TO TRANSFER THIS MONEY INTO A SAFE FOREIGN ACCOUNT ABROAD BUT I DON'T KNOW ANY FOREIGNER, I AM ONLY CONTACTING YOU AS A FOREIGNER BECAUSE THIS MONEY CAN NOT BE APPROVED
TO ANY LOCAL BANK HERE IN SCOTLAND, BUT CAN ONLY BE APPROVED TO ANY FOREIGN ACCOUNT BECAUSE THE MONEY IS POUNDS STERLINGS AND THE FORMER OWNER OF THE ACCOUNT IS MR.JOHN HUGHES AND HE WAS A FOREIGNER TOO.WELL, I GOT YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS FORM MAGAZINE ADVERT.I KNOW THAT THIS MESSAGE WILL COME TO YOU AS A SURPRISE AS WE DON'T KNOW OUR SELF BEFORE, BUT BE SURE THAT IT IS REAL AND A GENUINE BUSINESS.
I BELIEVE IN GOD THAT YOU WILL NEVER LET ME DOWN IN THIS INVESTMENT. WHEN THE TRANSFER IS APPROVED AND PAYMENT SCHEDULE IS ALLOCATED OVERSEAS,THROUGH THE OFFSHORE PAYING DELEGATE FOR FINAL CLEARANCE AND SIGNING OF THE PAYMENT RELEASE FORM BY THE BENEFICIARY, I WANT US TO SEE AT THE OVERSEA PAYING CLEARANCE OFFICE FACE TO FACE OR SIGNING OF THE ORIGINAL BINDING AGREEMENT TO BIND US TOGETHER SO THAT,WE CAN RECEIVE THIS MONEY INTO A FOREIGN ACCOUNT OR ANY ACCOUNT OF YOUR CHOICE WHERE THE FUND WILL BE REMITTED.
I AM CONTACTING YOU BECAUSE OF THE NEED TO INVOLVE A FOREIGNER WITH A FOREIGN ACCOUNT AS THE REAL BENEFICIARY. I NEED YOUR CO-OPERATION TO MAKE THIS WORK FINE, BECAUSE THE MANAGEMENT IS READY TO APPROVE THIS PAYMENT TO ANY FOREIGNER WHO HAS THE CORRECT INFORMATION TO THIS ACCOUNT,WHICH I WILL GIVE TO YOU WHEN SURE OF YOUR CAPABILITY TO HANDLE SUCH AMOUNT IN STRICT CONFIDENCE AND RUST.ACCORDING TO MY INSTRUCTIONS AND MY ADVICE FOR OUR MUTUAL BENEFIT BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO MAKE ANY MISTAKE, I NEED YOUR STRONG ASSURANCE AND TRUST.
I SHALL DESTROY ALL DOCUMENTS CONCERNING THIS TRANSACTIONS IMMEDIATELY WE RECEIVED THIS MONEY LEAVING NO TRACE TO ANY PLACE.I WILL USE MY POSITION AND INFLUENCE OF OTHER STAFFS TO EFFECT THE LEGAL APPROVALS AND ONWARD TRANSFER OF THIS MONEY TO YOUR ACCOUNT WITH APPROPRIATE CLEARANCE FROM FOREIGN PAYMENT DEPARTMENT. WITH ASSURANCE THAT THIS MONEY WILL BE INTACT PENDING MY PHYSICAL ARRIVAL TO YOUR COUNTRY FOR THE SHARING AND OTHER INVESTMENT.
PLEASE DO REPLY ME THROUGH: mr_smithrobinson@yahoo.co.uk
VERY URGENT CONTACT THANKS SINCERELY MR ROBINSON SMITH.


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