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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: "Mrs. Monalisa Fernandez" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <monafernandez12@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 4 Jul 2016 06:10:41 -1000
Subject: Re: Good day

From: Monalisa Fernandez
Telephone:+34 612 438 088
Fax: +34 917 692 697
Email: monafernandez12@gmail.com

Good Day,

I am Mrs. Monalisa Fernandez, I am the Administrative manager at a Vault of a Financial & Security Institute in Barcelona.
I am contacting you based on a financial opportunity I discovered here in our bank. It's about an abandoned sum of 9.5m US dollars (Nine million five hundred thousand United States dollars) in our safety deposit vault, that belongs to one of our foreign customers, a citizen of your country that shares the same surname with you, who died along with his entire family on 11th March 2006 in a ghastly car accident in Porto Portugal.
The banking policy can only allow the release of such funds to a benefactor through an application as next of kin to the deceased. After his death, the bank has been expecting a possible beneficiary, but no luck, this institute has exploited all its ethical possibilities in other to contact his possible relation or inheritor, but no success. Since no one has come up since six years, I have made my own research with the help of a private investigator, it is my knowledge that this man has been living in Barcelona for the past 22yrs and has never returned back home. I also learnt that his wife and 3year old daughter died with him during this accident. I am almost 110% sure that no one is aware of the existence of these funds.
However, because of the international financial crises, a lot of reform has been made within the Spanish Financial system; this includes the new law on succession/claims which indicates a duration in which such inheritance could be tolerated. The Bank of Spain has mandated our institute to release the funds to the possible inheritor, Failure to respond to this ultimatum would legally allow the Bank of Spain confiscate these funds as unclaimed estate (Which of course would go straight to the Government’s pocket). It is therefore upon this entire discovery that I have decided to contact you. I want you to know that I am a senior member of this office. As an insider, I am equipped with all classified secret information regarding the release of these funds. I would be dedicated to making sure that I feed you with all possible documentation and information required for the approval and release of these funds.
Upon your acceptance to co-operate, I agree that 40% of this money will be for you, 50% for me and 10% goes to any acceptable charity organization here in Barcelona Spain or your country. Please note that I have ONLY discussed this with my husband. For time difference and confidential reasons, I strongly advise that you communicate with me via my husband's contact details above, this should be done firstly via fax or phone. Immediately you get in touch with me, I would be able to inform you on how this could be concluded.
In conclusion, it's my concern to demand your ultimate honesty, co-operation and confidentiality to enable us conclude this transaction. Please keep this very confidential and do not discuss it with anybody. I GUARANTEE that this process would be executed under a legitimate arrangement that would legally protect you from any breach of law.

Thanks and God bless you.
Looking Forward To Your Prompt Response
Yours Sincerely
Mrs. Monalisa Fernandez.

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