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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: "Mr. Lukas Gahwiler." <lukasprivate@ubs.ch>
Reply-To: lukas_gahwiler@yahoo.ca
Date: Sat, 07 Jun 2014 18:25:59 +0200
Subject: Requested Information.


--
>From Lukas Gahwiler
Postfach 8098 Zurich
Switzerland.

I feel quite safe dealing with you in this important business. Though
this medium (Internet) has been greatly abused, I choose to reach you
through it because it still remains the fastest medium of
communication. However, this correspondence is private, and it should
be treated in strict confidence. I work with Bank UBS AG Zurich at
their offshore department, I will be happy to work this deal out with
you if you have a corporate or personal Bank Account and if you will
keep TOP SECRET.

During our last periodic auditing I discovered some dormant accounts
with holding balances of Three Hundred and Twenty million US Dollars,
Sometimes a person will open a bank account, deposit money, and then
disappear into the tin air. Banks are not always able to find out what
has become of these silent customers, or to know whether they should
follow up on requests from people who claim to be heirs to the
accounts. The main problem is that the customer resides abroad and, due
to bank secrecy, the bank cannot publish notices in the international
press to locate the depositories.

This has led the majority of Swiss banks to refrain from opening
small-deposit accounts for foreign customers; for fear that they will
forget that the account exists.

It has happened in the past, however, that customers pass away and
their heirs can neither prove the death, nor their heir ship. This was
a frequent occurrence during the wartime periods, and the banks have
now set up a simple, rapid resolution procedure operating to their
customers’ advantage. Dormant assets are defined as any assets
deposited with a bank (an account, a custody account or a
safety-deposit box) for which there has been no contact with the
customer in the bank’s files for the last ten years or more.

If you believe you have claim to a Swiss bank account for which the
holder (e.g. an ancestor) has not been in contact with the bank for
over ten years, there is a fairly simple procedure to follow, depending
on the date the account was opened. This account has not been operated
for the past years, As at this moment I am constrained to issue more
details about this business until your response is received.

If you are not familiar with Swiss Dormant Accounts and profile,
please take a moment of your very busy schedules to read about Swiss
dormant accounts:
website; http://www.crt ii.org/2001_list/publication_list1_A.phtm

If you know that you are capable to handle large or small amount on
trust and can keep secret and ready to take 40% of any amount I
transfer to your account from the dormant accounts and I will take 60%,
send your account information’s by return mail. Tell me more about
yourself, while I look forward to receive the above information. Please
you can write me to my most private email address
(lukas_gahwiler@yahoo.ca).

I want to re-assure you that this business is risk free and you can
send an empty account to receive the funds, provided that the account
is capable to receive incoming funds. Send your private mobile phone
number where I can reach you now. and let me hear from you. Thank you
for your time and attention.

Warmest regards,

Mr. Lukas Gahwiler.

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