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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: "Michael Collins" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <michealcollins1@gmx.com>
Date: Tue, 8 Aug 2017 18:21:02 +0100
Subject: Request For Your Family Inheritance Claim Notification


Dear Confidant,

I am sending you this email with regards to your Family Surname. You share the same surname with my late customer, Mrs. Sharon , an American who until her sudden death in the year 2010 (26th/11/2010) she was a big time contractor to (BP) British Petroleum, London UK.

The management of the bank where I work as a chief account officer (HSBC Bank) has asked me to search for the Next of Kin, relative or business associate to the deceased because she did not state such at the time she made the deposit which value ?7.5 million GBP (Seven Million, Five Hundred Thousand British Pounds on March 20th Monday, 2006.

Get back to me and I will furnish you with more information inline with the above claim, please feel free to call me on my direct phone line:+447042073385 for immediate attestation.

Regards,

Micheal Collins
HSBC UK Headquarters
8 Canada Square, Canary Wharf,
London E14 5HQ
United Kingdom.

Anti-fraud resources: