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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: "Harry Yergey" <harry_yergey@msn.com>
Reply-To: harry_yergey@yahoo.de
Date: Sun, 04 Sep 2005 19:45:21 +0000
Subject: FROM HARRY Commerzbank AG LONDON

Office Of Corporate /Institutional Banking Bills and
Exchange
Commerzbank AG
London Branch
Commerzbank House
23 Austin Friars
GB-London EC2N 2NB

Dear Sir
First I must solicit your confidence in this transaction, this is by virtue
of
it's nature as being utterly confidential and top secret. Though I know that
a transaction of this magnitude will make any one apprehensive and worried,
but I am assuring you that this is real and genuine.
I Harry Yergey the head of corporate and institutional banking Bills and
ExchangeCommerzbank AG London Branch.
I came to know you in my private search for a reliable and reputable person
to handle this ConfidentialTransaction,which involves the transfer of a huge
sum of money to a foreign account requiring maximum confidence.
MY PROPOSITION;
During my audit exercise i discovered an abandoned sum of £14,320,000.00
(fourteen million three hundred and twenty thousand great British pounds
sterling ) in an account that belongs to one of our late customers aGerman
estate tycoon (Andreas Schranner ) who died along with his wife and entire
family on 25th July,2000,Air France Concorde flight 4590 plane crash.
Since his death, none of his next-of-kin or relations has come forward to
lay claims for this money as the heir.
Commerzbank AG 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, unfortunately, no family member nor relative has ever
appeared to claim the said fund.
Upon this discovery, I now seek your permission to have you stand as next of
kin to the deceased so that the fund £14,320,000.00 (fourteen million three
hundred and twenty thousand great British pounds sterling ) can be released
and paid into your account as the beneficiary's next of kin otherwise the
fund will be returned to the British government treasury as unclaimed funds
and will be subsequently conficicated by the British Government at the
expiration of five year duration which is this year.
All documents to enable you receive this funds will be carefully worked out.
Please acknowledge receipt of this message in acceptance of my mutual
businessendeavour by furnishing me with the following;
1. Your name and address
2. Direct Telephone and fax numbers
These requirements will enable us file letters of claim to the appropriate
departments for necessary approvals in your favour before the transfer can
be made. I have agreed that our ratio of sharing will be as stated thus: On
final conclusion of this project, 60% of this shall be for me, while 35%
shall be for you and the remaining 5% shall be used to compensate either
party for any expenses incurred. Your share 35% stays while,my 60% share
shall be used for investment purposes in your country. For your
confirmations,you can visit this website for more info
Http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm If this proposal is
acceptable by you, do not take undue advantage of the trust we have bestowed
in you.
I await your sincere cooperation and reply.
Harry Yergey.


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