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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: "Benard Konovi" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <benardkn01@yahoo.cn>
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:13:32 -0800
Subject: REPLY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

Dear Sir,

I sincerely apologize for intruding into your privacy especially by contacting you through this means for a business transaction of this magnitude, but due to its seriousness and urgency, it therefore became necessary for me to seek your assistance. I am Benard Konovi, a solicitor at law, a member of West African private advisory association. I am the personal attorney to Late Robert Heinrich, a national of your country who worked for a construction Company in Togo, herein after, shall be referred to as my client.

On the 21st of April 2006, my client, the husband and their only daughter were involved in a car accident, due process were followed to alert members of the public to get to any member of his relation or friend through Electronic Media Obituary Announcement both at the local radio and television stations here in Togo and never was any member of his relation were able to be located. Presently, the security company were she made the deposit has written me instructing that l provide any of his relations for the purpose of transferring his deposit to the person and I have want to contacted you so as to present you as the relative to my deceased client and direct the security company to pay you the money. l need your hand of co-operation to claim the outstanding sum of money as l will present you as a relative to my deceased client.

Therefore, on receipt of your positive response, we shall then discuss the sharing ratio and modalities for transfer.

All I require from you is your honest cooperation to enable us see this transaction through. I guarantee that this will be executed under legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.

Respond to this message on my private email address; benardkn01@yahoo.cn

Hope to hear from you.

Best Regards.

Benard Konovi

Anti-fraud resources: