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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: "Frank Tony" <frankbtony@legalchambersworld.com>
Reply-To: frank_tony22@yahoo.co.in
Date: Mon, 04 Jul 2005 19:43:48 +0000
Subject: YOUR ASSISTANCE IS NEEDED URGENTLY,

FRANK TONY & ASSOCIATES
44, KOFO ABAYOMI AVENUE,
VICTORIA ISLAND,
LAGOS - NIGERIA.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am Barrister Frank Tony, a Solicitor. I am the Personal Attorney to Mr.
Steve, who used to work with Chevron Oil Development Company in Nigeria. On
the 21st of April, 2002, his wife and their three children were involved in
a car accident along Abuja Express Road.

Unfortunately, they all lost their lives in the event of the accident. Since
then I have made several enquiries to your Embassy to locate any of my
client relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful.

After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace his relatives
over the Internet to locate any member of his family but to no avail, hence,
I contacted you to assist in repatriating the money left behind by my client
in a Security Company. Particularly, the Security Company where the deceased
deposited the US$15 Million (Fifteen Million United States Dollars only).

Consequently, this Security Company issued me a notice to provide the Next
of Kin to claim the US$15 Million (Fifteen Million United States Dollars
only) in their custody within the next ten official working days.

Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over 2 years
now, I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased
to claim the fund as the Next of Kin to him so that the fund will be
transferred to your account by the Security Company.

Upon receipt of the fund, I will come over to your country to meet with you
for the disbursement of the fund and then you and I will share the money in
this order: 55% will be for me, 40% will be for you, while 5% will be used
on expenses incurred. I have all the necessary legal documents that can back
our claim we may make with the Security Company.

All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us see this deal
through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate
arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. Please, get in
touch with me by my secured and confidential email address
at<frank_tony22@yahoo.co.in> to enable me clarify you further.

Best regards.
Barrister Frank Tony (Esq)


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