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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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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Wang Lee" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <leewang@consultant.com>
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:00:25 -0000
Subject: Confidential Bank Transfer (Transmittal )

FROM THE DESK OF: MR.WANG LEE

Mr. Wang Lee
Principal Assurance Manager
China Trust Commercial Bank
Date: 16/02/2010
Email: leewang@consultant.com

I am Mr. Wang Lee, the Principal Assurance manager for China Trust Commercial Bank; I am getting in touch with you regarding the estate of a deceased client with an investment placed under our banks management 10 years ago. You were introduced to me by a trusted customer of my bank as someone responsible enough and capable of carrying out this transaction .

I would respectfully request that you keep the contents of this mail confidential and value the integrity of the information you come by as a result of this mail. I am contacting you independently and no one is informed of this communication.

In 2000, the subject matter; Mr. Kevin Alfred Abbott came to our bank to engage in business discussions with our private banking division. He informed us that he had a financial portfolio of 8.35 million United States dollars, which he wished to have us invest on his behalf.

Based on my advice, we spun the money around various opportunities and made attractive margins for our first months of operation, the accrued profit and interest stood at this point at over 10 million United States Dollars. In mid 2004, he instructed that the principal sum (8.35M) be liquidated because he needed to make an urgent investment requiring cash payments in Hong Kong. We got in touch with the Dah Singh Bank, which is a specialist bank in China, with a foreign representative branch in Hong Kong who agreed to receive the money for a fee and make cash available to Mr. Kevin Abbot. However we were surprised to receive official correspondence from Dah Singh Bank last year that this money has not been claimed. This compelled us to make inquiries on him that revealed that Kevin was involved in a Fatal accident in Mainland China, he died intestate (without a will made out for this funds).

I had to embark on further official investigations on him as managerially required of us in this state of affairs, and found out that Late Mr. Kevin Abbott left behind no next of kin and this is the reason I have cause to write you.

What I propose is that since I have exclusive access to his file by virtue of my position and assigned responsibility in this Bank, I can make you the named beneficiary of these funds. My bank will contact you informing you that money has been willed to you. On verification with the details I will then make available to my bank, they will instruct Dah Singh Bank to make payments in your name to you.

You do not have to have known Mr. Kevin Abbott. I know this might be a bit heavy for you but please trust me on this. It happens regularly. Within the banking circle especially because the other option is that the Funds will revert back to the state. For your assistance I propose that we break up the money in half, Share it equally.

Nobody is getting hurt, this is a lifetime opportunity for us. I hold the KEY to these funds, and as a Chinese National we see so much cash and funds being re-assigned daily. I would want us to keep communication for now strictly by the above email. Which is leewang@consultant.com.

Please, again, note I am a family man; I have a wife and children. I send you this mail not without a measure of fear as to the consequences, but I know within me that nothing ventured is nothing gained and that success and riches never come easy or on a platter of gold. This is one truth I have learned from my private banking clients. Do not betray my confidence. If we can be of one accord, we should act swiftly on this.
I await your positive response.

Yours truly,
Wang Lee

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