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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: "Nicholas Clive" <livnic@hongkong.com.mx>
Reply-To: niclive1@freenet.de
Date: Sat, 02 Apr 2005 02:56:24 -0600
Subject: LETTER

From the Desk of:
MR. NICHOLAS CLIVE
Lagos Nigeria.

Dear Sir,

With great pleasure I, MR. NICHOLAS CLIVE, Manager of a Bank (name upheld) is writing you in respect of a foreign customer an Oil consultant/contractor with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Engr. Nam Hyewon made a numbered time (Fixed) Deposit for twelve calendar months valued at US$25,000,000.00 (Twenty-five Million Dollars) in my branch.

Upon maturity, I sent a routine notification to his forwarding address but got no reply. After a month, we sent a reminder and finally we discovered from his contract employers, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation that Engr.Nam Hyewon died in Korean Air Flight 801, which crashed in Guam on August 1997 with other passengers onboard. I therefore made further investigation and discovered that Engr. Nam Hyewon died without making a WILL, and all attempts to trace his next of kin was fruitless. Also,he did not declare any next of kin or relations in all his official documents, including his Bank Deposit paperwork in my Bank. This sum of US$25,000,000.00 is still sitting in my Bank and the interest is being rolled over with the principal sum at the end of each year.

Since the demise of this our customer, I have personally watched the account with keen interest to see the next of kin but all has proved abortive as no one has come to claim his FIXED DEPOSIT fund of USD.$25million, [Twenty five million United States Dollars] which has been with my branch for a very long time. Since his death, none of his next-of-kin or relations has come forward to lay claims for this money as the heir.

A member of our government trade delegation to your country gave your impeccable profile to me. Hence I have decided to seek your co-operation in this business deal due to the sensitivity of this transaction. It may interest you to know that I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money cannot be approved to a local Bank account here, but can only be approved to a foreigner with an account since the money is in US Dollars. I have decided as a matter of urgency upon this discovery now seek your permission to have you stand as next of kin to the deceased Engr. Nam Hyewon as No one has ever come forward to claim this fund. In accordance to Nigerian Law, fund deposited for a long period of time without claim will be reverted to the Nigerian Government treasury if nobody applies to claim this fund after a long period of time. I want you to co-operate with me so that the fruits of this man's labour will not get into the hands of some unsrupulous corrupt government off!
icials if
NOT CLAIMED now. I have secured from the probate an Order of Madamus to locate any of deceased beneficiaries. Hence I am contacting you with this proposal.

This is simple, I will like you to provide immediately your full names and address,Date of Birth,Occupation,Tel & Fax Numbers so that the Attorney will prepare the necessary documents and affidavits which will put you in place as the next of kin. We shall employ the services of two Attorneys for drafting and notorization of the WILL and to obtain the necessary documents and letter of probate/administration in your favour for the transfer. The Bank 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. I have almost resolved to finalize this transaction with some money to secure documents in your name as the bonafide beneficiary of this fund $25m which guarantees our safety and successful transfer. With the above suggestion, It is reliable,safe and quick for transfer process.

At the successful conclusion of this business, your goodself shall be entitled to have 40% that is, USD$10m of the total money while I will have 55% that is USD$13.750M and 5% that is USD$1.250m for communications and other expenses. I am ready to invest a reasonable percentage of mine into any viable business you suggest as a joint partner.

Your response is highly imperative as this is a TWO-man business deal transaction as I shall then provide you with more details and relevant documents that will help you understand the transaction. I need your assistance and co-operation to this reality as I have done my Home-work and fine tune the best way to create you as all the paperwork for this transaction will be done by the Attorney and my position as the Branch Manager guarantees the successful execution of this transaction with you as the beneficiary to this fund. Your percentage will also be a source of upliftment.You have absolutely nothing to LOSE in assisting me instead, you have so much to GAIN. Be rest assured that this transaction would be most profitable for both of us.

I will appreciate your early reply for commencement of business. Contact me for acknowledgement by E-mail and whereby you are not interested, please indicate in your reply so that I can seek for the assistance of someone else.

Thanks for your expected co-operation and treat ASAP as your utmost Trust, Honesty and Confidentiality will be highlyappreciated in this business deal transaction.

Thanks with great regards.

Nicholas Clive

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