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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: Jason smith <stephen.s.moore@btinternet.com>
Reply-To: js_smith1011@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Thu, 20 May 2010 06:01:02 -0700 (PDT)
Subject:




Hello,



My name is Mr.Jason smith, I am the credit manager in a bank here in the United Kingdom. I am contacting you of a business transfer, of a huge sum of money from a deceased account. Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make any one apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that everything has been taken care off, and all will be well at the end of the day. I decided to contact you due to the urgency of this transaction. PROPOSITION; I am the account officer of a foreigner named Richard Burson who died in an air crash along with his wife on the 31st October 1999 in an Egyptian airline 990 with other passengers on board. You can confirm this from the website below which was published by BBC WORLD NEWS. WEBSITE.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/502503.stm

Since his death, none of his next-of-kin are alive to make claims for this money as his heir, because they all died in the same accident himself and his wife (May their soul rest in peace). 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. Upon this discovery, I now seek your permission to have you stand as a next of kin to the deceased, as all documentations will be carefully worked out by me for the funds (£7,800,000.00) seven million eight hundred thousand pounds to be released in your favor as the beneficiary's next of kin. Because after ten years the money will be called back to the bank treasury as unclaimed bills and the money shared amongst the directors of the bank. so it is on this note i decided to seek for whom his name shall be used as the next of kin/beneficiary to this funds rather than allow the bank directors to share this money amongst
themselves at the end of the year. It may interest you to know that we have secured from the probate an order of mandamus to locate any of the deceased beneficiaries. Please acknowledge receipt of this message in acceptance of our mutual business endeavor by furnishing me with the following information if you are interested.





1. A Beneficiary name..In order for me to prepare the document for transfer of the funds in your name.

2. Direct Telephone and fax numbers...For our personal contact and mutual trust in each other. (50/50)share for both party 50% comes to my account and 50% to your account. I intend to retire after the conclusion of this transaction.





If this proposal is acceptable by you, please endeavor to contact me

immediately. Do not take undue advantage of the trust I have bestowed in you, I await your urgent mail.



Regards,



Mr.Jason smith

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