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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: "Mr.Kentor Zuma" <kentorzuma@z6.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: zuma_kentor@yahoo.com
Date: Sat, 23 Apr 2005 15:21:04 +0400
Subject: GREETINGS FROM SOUTH AFRICA

Greetings to You,

How are you and your family I hope that you are all okay? I want to ask you, If you are not capable to quietly look for a reliable and honest person who will be capable and fit to provide either an existing bank account or to set up a new Bank a/c immediately to receive this money, even an empty a/c can serve to receive this money, as long as you will remain honest to me till the end for this important business trusting in you and believing in God that you will never let me down either now or in future.

I am the Head of International banking department, in one of the biggest bank here in South Africa. During the course of our auditing, I discovered a floating fund in an account opened in the bank in 1996 and since 1998 nobody has operated on this account again, after going through some old files in the records I discovered that the owner of the account died without a [Heir/WILL] hence the money is floating and if I do
not remit this money out urgently it will be forfeited for nothing. The owner of this account is late and by name Mr. Awal El-Mohammed a citizen of Iraq. During my investigation concerning his where about, I discovered that he died as a result of torture in the hand of Saddam Hussein (former Iraqi President) in one of his trips to his country Iraq during Saddam Hussein regime, as he was accused of leaking information to the Americans. I also found out that that Mr. El-Mohammed's family wife and two sons died during the Gulf War in Iraq and was the reason why he did not declare any next of kin or relation in all his official documents, including his Bank Deposit paperwork in my Bank and did not leave any WILL

The total amount involve is Eighteen million Six Hundred Thousand United States Dollars only
[$18,600,000.00] and I wish to transfer this money into a safe foreigners bank account overseas. But I don't know any foreigner; I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money cannot be approved to a local person here, but to a foreigner who has information about the account, which I shall give to you upon your positive response. I am revealing this to you with believe in God that you will never let me down in this business, you are the first and the only person that I am contacting for this business, so please reply urgently so that I will inform you the next step to take urgently.

I need your strong assurance that you will never let us down, me and a key bank official who is deeply involved with me in this business. I guarantee that this transaction will be executed under a legitimate Arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. I will destroy all documents of transaction immediately we receive this money leaving no trace to any place. I will use my position and influence to obtain all legal approvals for onward transfer of this money to your account with appropriate clearance from the relevant ministries and foreign exchange
departments.

At the conclusion of this business, you will be given 30% of the total amount, 70% will be for us. Further details await your earliest reply. PLEASE, TREAT THIS PROPOSAL AS TOP SECRET. For security reasons, I expect your response of interest through this my private email address or contact me on my private satellite phone/fax numbers: TEL: +871763931353, FAX:
+871763931351

I wait to receive your response to this mail as soon as you receive this mail.

Best Regards,

Mr. Kentor Zuma



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