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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

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

Fraud email example:

From: james douglas <jdouglas301@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 11:36:05 -0800 (PST)
Subject: VERY URGENT/TRANSFER ASSITANCE


AUDIT AND ACCOUNTS UNIT.
FOREIGN REMITTANCE DEPT.
ECOBANK-INTL
B.P 359
LOME,REPUBLIC OF TOGO,
WEST AFRICA

MY DEAR,

COMPLIMENTS,MY NAME IS MR JAMES DOUGLAS, THE MANAGER CREDIT AND FOREIGN BILLS OF ECOBANK INTERNATIONAL,LOME -TOGO.
I AM WRITTING IN RESPECT OF A FOREIGN CUSTOMER OF MY BANK(MR GENE BILLINGS OF AMERICA,WITH ACCOUNT NUMBER ADB100144986-00 WHO PERISHED IN THE PLANE CRASH OF 31 OCTOBER 1999[IN EGYPTIAN AIRLINE 990] WITH OTHER PASSENGERS ABOARD AS YOU CAN COMFIRM IT YOURSELF THROUGH THIS WEB-SITE.
(www.cnn.com/us/9911/02/egyptair990.list/index.html).

SINCE MR GENE BILLING'S DEAD,I PERSONALLY HAVE WATCHED WITH KEEN INTEREST TO SEE THE NEXT OF KIN BUT ALL HAS PROVED ABORTIVE AS NO ONE HAS COME TO CLAIM HIS FUNDS OF USD9M,[NINE MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS]WHICH HAS BEEN WITH OUR BANK HERE FOR A VERY LONG TIME. ON THIS NOTE I DECIDED TO SEEK FOR WHOM HIS NAME SHALL BE USED AS THE NEXT OF KIN,AS NO ONE HAS COME UP TO PUT CLAIM AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO THIS FUNDS AND THE BANKING ETHICS HERE DOES NOT ALLOW SUCH MONEY TO STAY MORE THAN FOUR YEARS, BECUASE AFTER FOUR YEARS THE MONEY WILL BE CALLED BACK TO THE BANK TREASURY AS UNCLAIMED BILL. IN VIEW OF THIS I GOT YOUR CONTACT THROUGH MY COUNTRY'S FOREIGN TRADE MISSION AFTER I WAS CONVEINCED IN MY MIND THAT YOUR NAME COULD BE USED AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO THIS CLAIM. THE REQUEST OF THE FOREIGNER AS A NEXT OF KIN IN THIS BUSINESS IS OCCASIONED BY THE FACT THAT THE CUSTOMER WAS A FOREIGNER AND A TOGOLAISE CAN NOT STAND AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO A FOREIGNER.

I AGREED THAT 30% OF THIS MONEY WILL BE FOR YOU AS A FOREIGN PARTNER IN RESPECT OF PROVIDING AN ACCOUNT WHILE 5% WILL TAKE OF ANY EXPENSES THAT MIGHT BE INCURED IN THE PROCEES OF EXECUTING THE TRANSFER AND THE REST WILL BE FOR ME. THEREAFTER I WILL VISIT YOUR COUNTRY FOR DISBURSEMENT AS I AM ALMOST DUE FOR RETIREMENT.

THEREFORE TO ENDEAVOUR THE IMMEDIATE TRANSFER OF THIS FUNDS TO YOUR ACCOUNT, YOU HAVE TO APPLY FIRST TO THE BANK AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO THE DECEASED INDICATING YOUR BANK NAME,YOUR BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER, YOUR PRIVATE TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBERS FOR EASY COMMUNICATION AND LOCATION WHERE THE MONEY WILL BE REMITTED.
UPON THE RECEIPT OF YOUR MAIL I WILL SEND TO YOU BY FAX OR E-MAIL A DRAFT APPLICATION OF CLAIM WHICH YOU WILL SEND TO THE BANK AND THE NEXT STEP TO TAKE. 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 ARRANGEMENT AS BEEN PERFECTED FOR THE TRANSFER.

HOPING TO HEAR FROM YOU.

KIND REGARDS,

MR JAMES DOUGLAS.




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