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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: "BANK OF SCOTLAND" <sean_glen@b-scotland.com>
Reply-To: sean_glen4949@myway.com
Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2005 02:18:45 +0000
Subject: Dear Friend

PRIVATE AND URGENT
From: BANK OF SCOTLAND,
LONDON BRANCH.

Dear Friend,
PRIVATE AND URGENT.

Please do not be offended if I have invaded your privacy. I am MR. SEAN
GLEN, and I am contacting you on business transfer of a huge sum of money
from a deceased account. Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude
will make anyone apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that all
will be well at the end of the day. I decided to contact you due to the
urgency of this transaction.

PROPOSITION.
I am the account officer to Mr Salah Adam (deceased) one of our foreign
customers. While he banked with us, I oversaw his accounts and other
official/financial obligations as my office demanded being his accounts
officer. Unfortunately, he died along with his entire family in the plane
crash of 31 October, 1999 on board the Egyptian Airline 990 alongside other
passengers.

While he was alive, none of his family members was ever known to me other
than his immediate nuclear family. Since his death, none of his next-of-kin
or relations has come forward to lay claims to this money as the heir. I
cannot release the fund from his account unless someone applies for claim as
the next-of-kin to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines.

Having made a very franatic and exhaustive search for any family member that
would lay claim to this fund, I decided to take my chance with you. I now
seek your permission to have you stand as next of kin to the deceased as I
have all documentations including his certified Death Certificate that will
facilitate your stand as next of kin to him as he had a closing balance of
£5,500,000.00 (five million, five hundred thousand pounds sterling) here in
our bank in London. I also have secured from the probate an order of
mandamus to locate any member of deceased family to become beneficiary of
this fund.

Please acknowledge receipt of this message in acceptance of our mutual
business endeavour by furnishing me with the following, vial reply to my
private E-mail: sean_glen09@bos-uk.org


1. Beneficiary name and address
2. Direct Telephone and fax numbers

These requirements will enable me make some internal re-adjustments and file
your name in form A2ag and other vital forms as next of kin which before now
was left blank by the deceased upon opening of the account six years ago.
Upon your reply, I will advice the way forward. I must assure you that if
you are serious and follow my lead religiously, then this funds will be
released to you within a seven-working-day period.

If this proposal is acceptable by you, do not take undue advantage of the
trust I have bestowed in you, I await your urgent mail.

Please reply to my private E-mail:sean_glen09@bos-uk.org

Regards,
Mr. Sean Glen.


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