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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "Lambert Mann" <anthonynguyen1961@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: drmann2002@graffiti.net
Date: Sat, 08 Oct 2005 17:18:18 +0000
Subject: REQUEST FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP

FROM THE DESK OF:
Barrister Anthony Lam Nguyen
Legal Practitioner
United Kingdom
Phone:+44 7031905199
Fax: +44 8701316485
Email: anthony200nguyen@hotmail.com

Dear Partner,

REQUEST FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP

This mail will definitely be coming to you as a surprise, but I must crave
your indulgence to introduce myself to you, am Barrister Anthony Lam Nguyen,
Legal Practitioner, based in London.

However I got your contact through the International web directory. During a
recent investigation, reconciliation and auditing of Barclays Bank Plc's
account, they discovered a dormant account with a huge amount of Money
Valued US$50,000,000.00 (Fifty Million US Dollars Only) that belongs to One
of my late Clients, Mr. Norman R. Vinsen, from Beverwijk, Netherlands, who
died with his family in a plane crash 14 years ago. So the fund has been
dormant in his account with The Barclays Bank Plc Head Office in London
without any claim of the fund, from his family or relation before now. Their
discovery to this development warranted them to contact my chamber as
Attorneys to the their late customer. The Banking law here stipulates that
if such money remains unclaimed for 15 years, it will be forfeited to the
Bank Treasury as an unclaimed bill. It is only a foreigner that can stand as
a next of kin and it is upon this discovery that I decided to contact you to
collaborate with you to pull out this dormant fund. In order to avert this
negative development, going through my archives, I now remembered and
brought out the last will of my late client where he was yet to fix in the
name of the next of kin to the account. I now seek your permission to fix in
your name in the WILL which I will redraft and have you stand in as next of
kin to Norman R. Vinsen, so that the fund will be released and paid into
your account as Norman R. Vinsen’s next of kin since the bank has requested
us to present his WILL for transfer of funds to his next of kin. I could
have done this deal alone but because of my position as his Attorney and due
to the need to have a confidential dealing with someone far away from United
Kingdom as any thing otherwise would eventual raise an eye brow on my side
during the time of transfer. I will also get a court affidavit in your name
for the legal transfer of the funds to you.

However, on smooth conclusion of this transaction, you will be entitled to
40% of the total fund, while 10% will be set aside to take care of expenses
you may incur while transferring funds from Barclays Bank Plc, and the
remaining 50% will be for me. What I want from you is for you to act as the
deceased next of kin. Bear in mind that this proposal is 100% risk free and
transfer will be legally done. Further information will be given to you as
soon as I receive your positive response. Please reply me to:
anthony200nguyen@hotmail.com

Best Regards,
Barrister Anthony Lam Nguyen
Legal Practitioner, United Kingdom.
Phone:+44 7031905199
Fax: +44 8701316485
Email: anthony200nguyen@hotmail.com


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