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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: "bernard russell" <bernardrussell8@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: ben_russell@3xl.net
Date: Fri, 17 Jun 2005 20:55:55 +0000
Subject: GOOD DAY

Dear Sir,

We might be strangers to ourselves now but as time goes on incase you are
willing to assist me in making this proposal a reality,we will now probably
meet in person.

We want to transfer to overseas account ($7,000.000.00 USD) Seven million
United States Dollars) from a Prime Bank here in London Uk, I want to ask
you, If you can 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 Auditor General in one of the prime banks here in London Uk, 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 throughsome 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 William F. Dumisani a foreigner, a great
industrialist and he died since 1998.No other person knows about this
Account or any thing concerning it, the account has no other beneficiary and
my investigation proved to me as well that until his death he was the
manager GOLD ARK [pty].S.A.

We will start the first transfer with Four million [$4,000.000] upon
successful transaction without any disappoint from your side, we shall
re-apply for the payment of the remaining rest amount to your Account.

The total amount involve is Seven million United States Dollars only
[$7,000.000.00]. I want to first transfer $4,000.000.00 [Four million United
States Dollar] from this money into a safe foreigners account abroad before
the rest. But I don't know any foreigner, I am only contacting you as a
foreigner because this money can not be approved to a local Person here,
without valid international foreign passport, but can only be approved to
any foreigner with valid international passport or drivers license and
foreign A/C because the money is in US dollars and the former owner of the
a/c is a foreigner too, and the money can only be approved into a foreign
A/C.

However, we will sign a binding agreement, to bind us together when we meet
face to face after the first transfer of $4 Million before transferring the
second part of $3 Million. 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. Send also your
private telephone and fax number including the full details of the account
to be used for the deposit.

I want us to meet face to face to build confidence and to sign a binding
agreement that will bind us together immediately after the first transfer
before we fly to your country for withdrawal, sharing and investments.

I need your full co-operation to make this work fine because the management
is ready to approve this payment to any foreigner who has correct
information of this account, which I will give to you upon your positive
response and once I am convinced that you are capable and will meet up with
instruction of a key bank official who is deeply involved with me in this
business. I need your strong assurance that you will never, never let me
down.

With my influence and my position in the bank the bank official can transfer
this money to any foreigner's reliable account that you can provide with
assurance that this money will be intact pending our physical arrival in
your country for sharing. The bank official Will destroy all documents of
transaction immediately we receive this money leaving no trace to any place
and to build confidence you can call me for heart to heart discussion
through my private satellite phone which I secured for the security and
safety of this business as you know that this business is confidential.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 20% of the total
amount, 75% will be for me, while 5% will be for expenses both parties might
have incurred during the process of transfer.

I look forward to your earliest reply through this email address or my
professional but confidential email address BEN_RUSSELL@3XL.NET


Thanks and God Bless.
Yours truly
Mr. Bernard Russell



N.B

Definitely,a transaction of this magnititude needs funds to execute and make
it a reality and before,i contacted you,i have already made a feasibility
study on how much we would need to carryout this project and it is about
$35,000.

Do not be alarmed,you are not going to spend any fund of yours caused before
i contacted you,i have already made an arrangement with an investor in
canada,who is going to assist us with the funds needed for us to complete
the transaction.

If you are interested,immediately,give me your telephone/fax number and
contact address for me to give to the investor to contact you and send the
funds needed for us to complete the transaction.


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