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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: "RICHARD SULLIVAN" <engr_sullivan03@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: engineersullivan@login.cz
Date: Sun, 17 Jul 2005 18:45:05 -0400
Subject: From Mr. Sullivan


URGENT BUSINESS PROPOSAL
Engineer Richard Sullivan
Shell Petroleum South Africa.
E-mail: engineersullivan@login.cz

Attn: MANAGING DIRECTOR/PRESIDENT/CEO

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am Richard Sullivan, a director of contracts evaluation and implemention
department of Shell Petroleoum,South Africa. I am married with Children and
hold degrees in economics and business studies.

I require urgently your unreserved assistance in providing me with a safe
and reliable bank account with full details, where I can transfer the sum of
$20.5M (Twenty million five hundren thousand United States of American)
Dollars The purpose of the transfer is to take care of my retirement by
investing in a viable business you might deem fit to advise.

This sum of money was generated as a result of over-invoiced contracts
awarded by my colleagues and I, and I have arranged for the money to be
remitted out through a reliable expatriate partner whom I can present as the
beneficiary, as my present status and financial resources will not be
sufficient for me to handle the transfer successfully without the financial
assistance of a reliable foreign partner.

I got your profile from our chamber of commerce and it is with business
trust that I write to request, you partner with us to facilitate the
transfer of this money to your nominated bank account for our mutual
benefits.

(20%) will go to you for your efforts and your contribution, 5% is for
miscelleneous expenses incurred by both parties, and 75% will be shared
between me and colleagues which will be use for business investment in your
country under your supervision.

Please if you are interested, send the underlisted information to enable us
commence,

(1) YOUR BANK NAME.
(2) YOUR BANK ADDRESS/TELEPHONE/FAX.
(3) YOUR BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER
(4) NAME THE WILL BE USE AS THE BENEFICIARY OF THE FUNDS
(5) YOUR PRIVATE TELEPHONE/FAX NUMBERS.

Kindly indicate your interest by contacting me via my alternative e- mail:
<engineersullivan@login.cz> as soon as you receive my mail

Thanks indeed,

Richard Sullivan


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