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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: williams johnson <williams_johnson4@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 03:13:03 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Unclaimed Deposit


Dear Friend,

With good faith i have come to you about this Legitimate Business of mine, but i must first introduce myself to you.

I am Williams Johnson. The manager Credit and Account Department of Apex Global Trust and Finance Security Company"AGTFSC" Lome Togo.

I am writing in a respect of unclaimed deposit belonging to a foreigner, Late Mr. Arthur Smith of America, with account #AGTFSC/1001/44986-00/tg. Who perished on the plan crash of 31st of october,1999 with egyptian airline 990 with other passengers aboard. Since the demise of Smith, I personally have watched with kin interest to see any next of kin or beneficiary to this deposit but no one has come up for the claim of usd$14.5m(fourteen million, five hundred thousand united states dollars)has being in our security vault for a very long time. On this note, i decided to seek for your noble assistance to help me come for the release and transfer of this fund into any of your nominated bank account abroad, In the sense to make you the beneficiary to this unclaimed deposit. As no one both friends and relatives has come up as the next of kin to this deposit and our banking ethnics here does not allow such deposit to stay more than six years, because after six years the money will!
be
confiscated into the nations treasury as an unclaimed deposit.

In view of this, I got your contact in my country's trade journal after which i was convinced to contact you and introduce this business with you as a foreigner. The request of the foreigner as a next of kin in this business is occassioned by the fact that, the customer was a foreigner and a togolaise can not stand as the next of kin to a foreigner. I have agreed to share this money with you in the mutual understanding of 65%/35%. You keep 35% while i keep 65%, How about that? Thereafter i will visit your country for mutual sharing between both of us. Bear in mind also that i would like to invest my own part of the share in your country. As i am almost due for retirement. For us to proceed towards this transaction, you have to send an application text to the security company as the next of kin to their deceased customer.

I will send to you a text of application which you shall re-type and send to the finance house, Upon your response to this mail. I will not fail to bring to your notice that this business is hitch free and that you should not entertain any fear as the whole required arrangment has been perfected for the successfull claim and transfer of this fund.
Don't forget to keep this transaction a top confidential untill we achieve our goal.
Thank you and God bless you.
Waiting for your positive response.


Best Regards,
Williams Johnson.














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