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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: "Karl Su" <karlsu1@web2mail.com>
Reply-To: karlsu772@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Mon, 5 Jul 2010 18:34:03 -0500
Subject: Bequest




I am Karl Su, Principal Assurance manager for the Huxia Bank in China. I
am contacting you in regards to an issue of great importance and an
investment placed under our banks management 7 years ago. I would
respectfully request that you keep the contents of this mail confidential
and respect the integrity of the information you come by as a result of
this mail. I contact you independently and no one is informed of this
communication.In 2000, the subject matter; 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 2002, he instructed that the principal sum (8.35M) be liquidated
because he needed to make an urgent investment requiring cash payments in
Hong Kong and China. We got in touch with a specialist bank in China, the
Guangdong Development Bank (GDB) who agreed to receive this money for a
fee and make cash available. However Guangdong Development Bank got in
touch with us last year that this money has not been claimed. On further
enquiries we found out that the subject matter was involved in an accident
in Mainland China, which means he died intestate. He has no next of kin.

What I propose is that since I have exclusive access to his file, you will
be made the beneficiary of these funds. My bank will contact you informing
you that money has been willed to you. On verification, which will be the
details I make available to my bank, my bank will instruct GDB to make
payments to you. You do not have to have known him. I know this might be a
bit heavy for you but please trust me on this. For all your troubles I
propose that we split the money in half. In the banking circle this
happens every time. The other option is that the money will revert back to
the state. 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 email. 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 the 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. Please pardon my writing mistakes. Please
get back to me immediately.

I await your response.
Karl Su





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