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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: "ngwako benjamin" <ngwakoben@hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 21 May 2005 11:30:40 +0200
Subject: FROM MR BENJAMIN

ABSA  FUND  MANAGERS LIMITED
(Reg No.1991/00881/06 )
62 Empire Road Parktown 2193
P.0.Box 6005 Johannesburg 2000
Tel  :+27 -73-368-6615
Fax  :+27-11-507-6881                                                         
 
Attention: Sir/Madam.
 
I am a staff of  Amalgamated Bank of South Africa  (ABSA) ,this BANK is also a correspondant  of London international branch,HSBC Bank,Plc.Level 26, 8 Canada Square  LONDON. I am writing following an oppurtunity in my office that will be of imense benefit to both of us.
 
In my department we discovered an  abandoned sum of  £4.2million British PoundsSterling (FOUR million Two hundred thousand British Pounds) in an account that belongs to one of our  foreign customers Late Mr. Morris Thompson an American who unfortunately lost his life in the plane crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261which crashed on January- 31- 2000, including his wife and only daughter. You shall read more  about the crash on visiting this site which I got during my investigation; http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska.airlines.list/ and
http://www.nativefederation.org/history/people/mThompson.html
 
Since we got information about  his death, we have been expecting his next of
kin or relatives to come over and claim his money because we cannot release it unless somebody applies for it as next of kin or relation to the deceased as
indicated in our banking guidelines.
 
Unfortunately I learnt that his supposed next of kin being his only daughter
died along with him in the plane crash leaving nobody with the knowledge of this fund behind for the claim. It is therefore upon this discovery that I and two
other officials in this department now decided to make  business with you and
release the money to you as the next of kin or  beneficiary of the funds for
safety keeping and subsequent disbursement since nobody is coming for it and we don't want this money to go back into  Government treasury  as unclaimed bill. The banking law and guidelines here stipulates that such money remained after five years the money will be transferred into banking treasury as unclaimed funds.
 
We agreed that 35% of this money will be for you as foreign partner, while the
balance will be for my colleagues and I. I will visit your country for the
disbursement according to the percentages indicated above once this money gets into your account.  Please be honest to me. Note this transaction is confidential and  risk free.  As soon as you receive this mail you should contact me through my e-mail address.

Please note that all necessary arrangement for the smooth release of these funds to you as has been finalised. We will discuss much in details when I do receive

 
 
Best  Regards,
Dr Benjamin Ngwako.

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