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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: "williams james" <williamsj_james@msn.com>
Reply-To: willams@compaqnet.fr
Date: Thu, 24 Nov 2005 22:51:23 +0000
Subject: Invitation to assist as Next of Kin,

willams james
FINANCIAL CONSULTANT
LONDON,U.K.

Invitation to assist as Next of Kin,

I write this august letter in confidence, believing that it will reach you
in high spirit and I believe you will maintain the level of confidence and
trust matters of this nature requires. Though, I know that this proposal
may make you apprehensive and worried, but I assure you that all will be
well at the end,as it stands to benefit both of us. A random search based
on your locality from the Internet produced your name and email address.

Before proceeding, I wish to introduce myself to you .I am willams james T.
a Financial Consultant to a deceased Immigrant Mr Andreas
Schranner,property magnate who was based in the U.K., who happens to be my
client.On the 25th of July 2000, my client, his wife Maria,their daughter
Andrea Eich,her husband Christian, and their children Katharina and
Maximilian all died in the Air France concord plane crash bound for New York
in their plan for a world cruise.

<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm>

Since then I have been managing his properties here in the U.K. and some
others which he put out for sale. The properties which have long been put
out on sale have now been paid for and now the money paid has long been
deposited into his local bank account here. I have contacted you to assist
in repatriating the money and estate left behind by my client before they
get seized or declared unserviceable by his bank.Particularly, the bank has
issued me with a notice to provide any of his next of kin or have the
account confisticated within a short period of time. my late client has an
account valued at Twelve Million Three Hundred
United States Dollars (12.3 Million USD).

Since I have been unsuccessful in locating any of my clients relatives for
some time now and with no one coming forward since my client passed on and
with the bank now giving me a deadline, I now seek your consent to present
you as the next of kin to my deceased client, so that the proceeds of his
account valued at Twelve Million Three Hundred United
States Dollars (12.3 Million USD). Only can be paid to you. This I intend
we share amongst ourselves.

I have all the necessary information that can be used to back up any Claim
that we may make and I can assure you that you shall be paid the amount as
the next of kin to my late client.

All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us see this deal
through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate
arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. Trust me as
his personal consultant that this is a risk-free transaction. Pls get back
to me immediately with the following information:

1)Your full names and contact address
2)Telephone and fax numbers .

Upon receipt of this information,we shall discuss further about this
transaction and do get back to me via my condential mail box
below:willams@compaqnet.fr.

Thank you in anticipation of your co-operation.

Best regards,

willams james


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