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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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.

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: "uba williams" <uba_williams060@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: uba_williama@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 01 Nov 2005 06:05:43 -0500
Subject: From Dr James Williams Uba.

Dear friend,

My name is Dr James Williams Uba. Chief Credit Officer (CCO),Union Bank.
Sorry to have to bump on you like this. Please dont be offended. When you
get bacK to me i would explain how i came about your coordinates. On
December 6, 2000, a Foreigner, Mr.Peter lee, made a numbered time (Fixed)
Deposit for twelve calendar months, valued at $61,000,000.00,u.s dollars. in
my branch. Upon maturity, I sent a routine notification to his forwarding
address but got no reply. After a month, I sent a reminder and finally we
discovered from his employers, that Mr. lee died from an automobile
accident. On further investigation, I found out that he died without making
a Will, and all attempts to trace his next of kin was fruitless. I therefore
made checks and found out that Mr. Smith did not declare any next of kin or
relations in all his official documents, including his Deposit paperwork
here.

>From past experiences, I know that no one will ever come forward to claim
the deceased funds. According to my country Laws, at the expiration of 5
(five) years, the funds will be Unclaimed and revert to the ownership of the
State if nobody applies to claim the fund. In order to avert this
development, I in conjunction with a colleague (the Chief Operating Officer
in the bank) now seek your permission to allow an attorney do a backdated
WILL in your name, so that the funds would be released to you as the new
owner (on behalf of me and my colleague). We are writing you because, as
public servants, we cannot operate a foreign account or have an account that
is more than Five Hundred thousand in my country's currency.

Consequently, I will present you as the owner of the funds so you can be
able to claim them with the help of an attorney. This is simple. I will like
you to provide immediately your: FULL NAMES/FULL CONTACT ADDRESS/PHONE/FAX
NUMBERS, so that an Attorney will prepare the necessary papers which will
put you in place as the new owner. It will then be released to you, for us
to split. The Attorney will do all the paperwork and this will guarantee
everything. Upon your response, I shall then provide you with more details
and further explanation that will help you understand.

Note also that we shall require your assistance to invest our share in your
country. (Buying of properties like houses, hotels etc).

Thanks and regards.
Dr James Williams Uba.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam