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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: "Barrister Martins O. Williams \(Esq.\)" <jjjj--------m7u66@att.net>
Reply-To: martinsowilliams70@yahoo.co.jp
Date: Wed, 9 Feb 2011 13:05:44 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Martins O. Williams Associates & Co.



Martins O. Williams Associates & Co.
Legal Adviser to the presidency on Financial Matters,
Solicitors & Advocates of the Supreme Court of Nigeria,
Plot 7/9 Muritala Mohammed Airport Road,
Lagos - Nigeria.
D/Line: + +234-805-776-5733

Attn: Sir/Madam,

I am Barrister Martins O. Williams Esq. a solicitor and the personal attorney to late Engr. Mark W., citizen of your country and a big time contractor here with Chevron oil and Gas Company here in Nigeria, Herein-after referred to as my client. On the 22nd day of October 2005, my client, and his family was involved in the Bell-view Plane-crash, my client and his entire family unfortunately lost their lives in the Plane-crash which also claimed several other lives including the pilot and the plane attendants.

Since the death of my late client I have made several inquiries to your embassy to locate any of my late client's extended relatives, which has proved abortive after these several unsuccessful attempts then the need to contact you emanated. My main reason for contacting you is so that you may stand in as the rightful next of kin to the deceased and therefore stand the right chance to claim the money left behind by my late client before it will be confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bank where the money is deposited at the moment at the total sum of $10, 000, 000. 00 USD {Ten Million United States Dollars} only

The said bank has issued me a final notice to provide the next of kin to my client or they will be left with no other choice but to confiscate this funds and have them transferred into the reserved account of the federal government of Nigeria for their private use as an unclaimed money as in line with the laws of the government regarding unclaimed money. Since the issuance of the final notice I have been unsuccessful locating my late client's relatives for the past five years now, so in this effect I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin to my late client, so that the said funds as stated above $ 10, 000, 000. 00 USD {Ten Million United States Dollars} only can be paid into your account as the next of kin, instead of leaving it for the bank and the federal agencies; we can take part of it and leave the rest to charity organizations if you so desire.

I must let you know that this transaction is 100% risk free and safe, and will also be executed under legitimate arrangement in order not to go contrary to the law and i assure you that there will be no problem or breaching of the law because I have all necessary and legal documents that will qualify you the rightful next of kin to my late client, all I require from you is your honest co-operation to enable us see this arrangement through and bring this transaction to perfect conclusion. I have decided to give you 40% out of the total sum while 55% will be for me and my office and 5% will be used to offset all expenses incurred by both parties during the period of this transaction. Kindly declare your interest to work with me in this transaction and also supply me with the following information.


*** YOUR FULL NAME
*** YOUR CONTACT ADDRESS
*** YOUR DIRECT TEL/FAX NUMBER{S}
*** YOUR AGE AND OCCUPATION

For information on the death of my late client and his family kindly see this site for your perusals; http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4368516.stm

I wait to hear from you urgently,
Best regards,

Barrister Martins O. Williams (Esq.)
Legal Adviser.
Lagos, Nigeria.

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