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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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Fraud email example:

From: "P. Zak" <mrpzak@rediffmail.com>
Date: Thu, 09 Dec 2004 19:53:07 -0200
Subject: Welcome!

MR PETER ZAK
Spain.

PRIVATE AND URGENT

I am contacting you on business transfer of a hugh sum of money from a
deceased
account, Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make
any
one
apprehensive and worried but I am assuring you that all will be well at
the end of the day. We decided to contact you due to the urgency of
this transaction.

PROPOSITION:
I am the account officer of a foreign customer. While he banked with us,
I oversaw his accounts and other official/financial obligations as my
office
demanded being his accounts officer.Unfortunately, he died in a plane
crash.
He had a closing balance of US$18,500,000 Eighteen million five
hundred thousand united states dollars in the account.While he was alive,
none of
his family members was ever known to me other than his immediate nuclear
family.
Since his death, none of his next-of-kin or relations has come forward to
lay claims
to this money as the heir. I cannot release the fund from his account
unless someone
applies for claim as the next-of-kin to the deceased as indicated in our
banking
guidelines.

Having made a very frantic and exhaustive search for any family member that
would
lay claim to this fund, I decided to take my chance with you.I now seek
your permission
to have you stand as next of kin to the deceased as I have all
documentations including his
certified Death Certificate that will facilitate your stand as next of
kin.I also have
secured from the probate an order of mandamus to locate any member of the
deceased family
to become beneficiary of this fund.


Please acknowledge receipt of this message in acceptance of our mutual
business
endeavour by furnishing me with the following:

Beneficiary name and address

Direct Telephone and fax numbers

These requirements will enable me make some internal re-adjustments and
file your name in all
the forms and other vital documents as next of kin which before now was
left blank by the deceased
upon opening of the account eigth years ago. Upon your reply, I will file
for the release of the funds
in your name.Be assured that if you are serious and follow my lead
religiously, then this funds
will be released to you within a seven-working-day with all approvals
given. We shall be
compensating you with a million dollars on final conclusion of this
transaction, while the rest
shall be for us.

If this proposal is acceptable by you do not take undue advantage of the
trust we have bestowed on you.

I await your urgent mail.

Regards.

Peter Zak.




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