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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 Ben Eso" <igeobi1@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: esoab@zipmail.com.br
Date: Thu, 07 Jul 2005 03:54:57 +0100
Subject: congratulation

Naturally, this letter will come to you as a surprise,since I am Barrister
Eso Ben contacting you to kindly assist me in the proposition below, which
will be of mutual benefit to us both.
PROPOSITION
A salvadorean, Mr. Ramirez Videurre, 66 years of age and a very prosperous
farmer made a huge bank deposit for investment in the sum of US$21.2 Million
(Twntyone.two Million, United States Dollars)he named his wife Mrs. Helga
Videurre as the NEXT OF KIN . I was called upon as an Accredited Attorney to
the bank to sign and endorse documents to this deposit on Mr. Videurre?s
behalf.Unfortunately, Mr. & Mrs. Videurre were killed in the January 14,
earthquake that rocked El Salvador ,killing thousands of people and 1200
others were declared missing. The bank management now mandates me (being the
lawyer that signed and endorsed the deposit papers for the deceased to trace
the family relatives of the deceased so that the fund will be released to
them. I was made to understand that they had no children.I made several
efforts through the El Salvador High Commission in Lagos to contact any of
the deceased family relatives, but to no avail.Failure to reach any of the
family relatives of the deceased , the only option left for the Bank?s
Management is to declare the deceased account dormant and revert the fund on
trading and investment in the interest of the bank.In order to avoid this
development since it has so farbeen impossible to trace any of the deceased
family relatives. I now seek your permission and assistance to have you
stand as a distant relatives to the deceased. So that the fund can be
released to you and we can use it for our mutual benefit. I hope you do
understand my concern in this matteris, that if we do not use this
opportunity to claim this fund , since the deceased relatives cannot be
traced,the management of the bank will declare the deceased?s account
dormant and revert the fund on Trading and Investment in the interest of the
bank.For your assistance, you will be compensated adequately with(40%) of
the total sum (55%) will be my own share while (5%) will be set aside to
coverany incidental expense made both at home and abroad prior to this
transaction.If you are interested in assisting me with this matter, please
send to me urgently via my EMAIL the following details below:
*Full name, Company or Private Address
*Telephone and Fax number(s).
Upon receiving the above details from you, I willwork out every
documents/proof representing you as the deceased BONA-FIDE distant relative
and when this is done, you will be contacted by the bank for the release and
collection of this fund, which willbe within one week of my receiving the
above detailsfrom you .I will meet with you in your country for disbursement
after the fund might have been released to you and also to discuss
investment potentials as I will like to invest in your country with your
assistance.Be assured that this transaction is 100% risk free,asI have taken
care of all necessary modalities to enable a hitch free transaction.Kindly
ensure to treat this matter in strict privacy(Highly Confidential).
yours sincerely
Barrister Eso Ben
MY PRIAVET Email ADDRESS=mrben@zipmail.com.br


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