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

Fraud email example:

From: masiga_john@yahoo.co.in (may be fake)
Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2005 12:32:33 +0400
Subject: NEXT OF KIN AND URGENT TRANSFER

Attn.Please
How are you and members of your family I suppose you all are fine?
I am contacting you without a prior relation as a matter of urgency cropped up this God's sent opportunity as it may be a life time opportunity for both of us if let be. But before I introduce myself, I wish to inform you that this letter is not a hoax mail and I urge you to treat it serious. I want to transfer to overseas account ($21,300.000.00 USD) Twenty One Million Three Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) from a Prime Bank here in South Africa. I want to ask you, If you are not capable to quietly look for a reliable and honest person who will be capable and fit to handle it, this important business trusting in you and believing in God that you will never let me down either now or in future.

I am Mr. John Masiga, Auditor General of this bank here in South Africa. I discovered this money from an a/c opened with the bank in 1996 and the a/c has remained UN serviced since 1998. It was after going through our old files in the records that I discovered that the owner of the account died without a WILL hence the money is floating and if I do not remit this money out urgently it will be forfeited for nothing. The owner of this account Mr. Morris Thompson an American and great industrialist and a resident of Alaska, who unfortunately lost his life in the plane crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261 which crashed on January 31 2000, including his wife and only daughter leaving nobody to claim the money. You shall read more news about the crash on visiting this site;
<http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska.airlines.list/>
and <http://www.alaskaair.com/E_latest.asp>.

No other person knows about this account or any thing concerning it except me as the account is a secret account.

I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money can not be approved to a local person here, but to a foreigner who has information and experience on business, which I shall give to you upon your positive response. I am revealing this to you with believe in God that you will never let me down in this business, I am contacting you on this business, so please reply urgently so that I will inform you the next step to take urgently.

I guarantee that this transaction will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. I will destroy all documents of transaction immediately you receive this money leaving no trace to any place. I will use my position and influence to obtain all legal approvals for onward transfer of this money to your account.

At the conclusion of this business, you will be given 20% of the total amount, 70% will be for my investment in your country through your name, while I have mapped out 10% for expenses both parties might have incurred during the process of transferring. I look forward to your earliest reply.

Wishing a Good relationship,
Mr.John Masiga.



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