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

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "William Moris" <william_moris@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: will_moris2005@excite.com
Date: Mon, 26 Dec 2005 09:28:27 +0000
Subject: URGENT BUSINESS PROPOSAL...

NATWEST BANK PLC,
ST. THOMAS HOSPITAL,
LAMBETH PALACE RD,
LONDON.
SE1 7EH.

 

FROM THE DESK OF :WILLIAM MORIS

 

Compliments of the Season,
Before proceeding, I wish to introduce myself to you; I am William Moris a staff of Natwest Bank plc, London working in the accounts department. I am pleased to get across to you for a very urgent and profitable business proposal which I believe will profit the both of us after completion. I contacted you after a careful thought that you might be capable of handling this business transaction, which I explained below.

 

All attempts to trace his next of kin were fruitless. I therefore made further investigations and discovered that Mr. Andreas Schranner did not declare any next of kin or relation in all his official documents,including his bank deposit paperwork in my bank. This sum of $55,500,000.00 has been floating as unclaimed since 2000 in my bank as all efforts to get his relatives have hit the stones.

 

According to the British Law, the money will revert to the ownership of the British government if nobody applies to claim the fund. To avoid this money being sent to the British treasury as unclaimed funds, I have decided to seek your assistance to have you stand as his next of kin so that the said fund ($55.5m) would be released in your name as the next of kin and paid into your account before I come over to meet you for sharing. All documents and proof that will have you claim this fund without stress will be forwarded to you upon your response to this mail more so, I want to inform you that I have unanimously agreed to offer you 30% of the sum for the assistance and role you are going to play in this ransaction, 20% will be given to charity organizations rwhile the remaining will be my share. As a Christian, i cannot stand and see this money being sent to the British treasury while the poor suffer.

 

Please send your confidential telephone and fax number in your reply to this business transaction.

 

God bless you.
William Moris.

 

 

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam