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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. Thomas Victor" <mr.victorthomas@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: mrthomasvic@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2014 06:58:01 -0000
Subject: From Mr. Thomas

Hello friend,

I am Mr. Thomas Victor head of Accounting Audit Department of a Bank from
London Piccadilly Circus, here in England (Royal Bank of Scotland). I am
writing you about a business proposal that will be of immense mutual
benefit to both of us. It might interest you to know that in my
department, being the head of account audit department, I discovered a Sum
of £18.5 Million (Eighteen Million Five Hundred Thousand Great British
Pounds Sterling) in an account that Belongs to one of our foreign
customers Late Business Mogul Mr. John Lambert, an American that was a
victim of a plane crash in 2012, killing him and his family members. John
Lambert 44, of Springfield, and Robin Melton, 46 of Ozark, died when the
SR22 2002 Cirrus crashed in a field near the intersection of Farm Road 81
and Missouri 123. Also in the plane at the time of the crash were
Lambert’s three children — McKinley, 15, and Grayson, 16, Joshua, 10, we
regret the great loss.

the choice of contacting you is aroused from the geographical nature of
where you live, particularly due to the sensitivity of the transaction and
the confidentiality herein. Now our bank has been waiting for any of the
relatives to come-up for the claim over the year. I personally have been
unsuccessful in locating the relatives, I seek your consent to present you
as the next of kin/Will Beneficiary to the deceased so that the proceeds
of this account valued at £18.5 Million Great British Pounds Sterling can
be paid/transferred to you as the named next of kin/beneficiary.

This will be disbursed or shared in these percentages, 60% to me and 40%
to you. I have secured all necessary legal documents that can be used to
back up this claim. All i need is to fill in your names to the documents
and legalize it in the court here to prove you as the legitimate
beneficiary. All I require now is your honest co-operation,
confidentiality and trust to enable us see this transaction through. I
guarantee you that this will be executed under the ambits of Law and under
a secure legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of
the law.

Please, provide me the following, as we have Seven (7) days to run this
through. This is very URGENT PLEASE.

1. Full Name:
2. Your Direct Mobile Number:
3. Your Contact Address:
4. Occupation:
5. Age:


Having gone through a methodical search, I decided to contact you hoping
that you will find this proposal interesting. Please on your confirmation
of this message and indicating your interest I will furnish you with more
information.

endeavor to let me know your decision rather than keeping me waiting.

Thanking you in anticipation for your favorable and positive reply.

Best Regards,
Mr. Thomas Victor.

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