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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: "Prince Fayad" <fayadw30@netscape.net> (may be fake)
Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2005 04:48:49 -0800
Subject: PRINCE

Dear Friend,



I am Prince Fayad W. Bolkiah, the eldest son of
Prince Jefri Bolkiah, former Finance Minister of Brunei, the tiny oil-rich sultanate on the Gulf Island of Borneo.
I will save your time by not amplifying my extended royal family history, which has already been
disseminated by the international media during the
controversial dispute that erupted between my father
and his stepbrother, the sultan of Brunei Sheik Muda
Hassanal Bolkiah. As you may know from the
international media, the sultan had accused my
father of financial mismanagement and impropriety of
US$14.8 billion dollars.
This was as a result of the Asian financial crisis that made my father company Amedeo Development Company and government owned Brunei
Investment Company to be declared bankrupt during
his tenure in office.

However my father was kept under house arrest, his
bank accounts and private properties including a
crude oil export refinery were later confiscated by the sultanate.
Furthermore during this unfortunate
period, I was advised to evacuate my immediate family
outside the sultanate to avoid further prosecution from the sultan and his security operatives, but before I could do that I was placed under house arrest by the Sultan and I had no access to phone, but I have a hand-held computer from which I am sending you this mail.
Some of the guard here are still loyal to me.

Before my incarceration, I went ahead to dispatch
the sum of One Hundred and Seventy Million United States Dollars (US$170,000,000.00) in cash with the assistance of a foreign diplomant who now reside in Europe.
The money has now been deposited as valuables into different private security and trust company’s for safe keeping abroad.
The money where splited and kept in the following countries in this proportion: US$50 Million is in Switzerland, US$80 Million is in Spain, US$40 Million is in Holland.

Please if you know you can assit in claiming and investing it in real estate/property to guanrantee the future survival of my family,contact me fast so that i'll give you contact imformation of the diplomant who will assist you in claiming the fund with the security company in europe.
For your assistance i will compensate you with 25% of the total sum and another 5% shall be set aside to defray any expenses that may arise.

Please I count on your absolute confidentiality,
transparency and trust while looking forward to your
prompt reply towards a swift conclusion of this
business transaction.

Many Thanks & May Allah’s blessing remain with you.

I remain yours sincerely.

Prince Fayad .W. Bolkiah.



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