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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: "Fred Bartlett" <fredbartlett012@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: fredbartlett115@myway.com
Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 17:33:15 +0000
Subject: Attn, Sir/MadamPlease Can You Act As A Next Of Kin To Late Ms.S.Marufu.

>From The Desk Of:
Barrister Fred Bartlett
Fred Bartlett & Associates
96 Cricklewood Broadway,
London, UK
Tel: +44-703-1848345
Fax: +44-207-6813291
Confidential E-mail: fredbartlett115@myway.com

Dear Sir/Madam,

Compliments of the season. It is indeed my pleasure to write to you
this
letter, which I believe will be a suprise, as we are both complete
strangers. I am Fred Bartlett of "Fred Bartlett & Associates" we are
solicitor at law. We are the personal attorney to Late Ms. S. Marufu
--, a
national of your country, who perished in Egyptair Flight 990 with the
whole
passengers aboard on 31st Oct 1999.

Page 1 (http://www.greatdreams.com/plane990.htm)
Page 2 (http://www.greatdreams.com/plane90b.htm)
CNN News (http://www.cnn.com/US/9910/31/egyptair.families.02/)

Before her death on the 31st oct 1999 our client {Late Ms. S. Marufu}
as she
likes to be addressed, who was a one time secret agent in transfering
of
money overseas for Late head of state of one Africa country, deposited
the
sum of USD$12.5M [Twelve Million Five Hundred Thousand United States
Dollars] in a Security Company's Vault here in Europe for herself, with
the
hope of transferring it to her country as soon as she is on leave.

Since her death we have made several enquiries to your embassy to
locate any
of my clients extended relatives this has also proved unsuccessful.
After
these several unsuccessful attempts, we decided to trace her last name
over
the internet, to locate any member of her family hence I contacted you.
We
have contacted you to assist in repartrating the money and property
left
behind by our client before they get confisicated or declared
unserviceable
by the Security Company where this huge deposits were lodged
particularly,
the Security Company where the deceased had a deposit valued at about
USD$12.5M [Twelve Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars]
has
issued us a notice to provide the next of kin or have the account
confisicated within the next ten official working days.

Since we have been unsuccesfull in locating the the relatives for over
3
years now we seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the
deceased since you have the same last name so that the proceeds of this
account valued at USD$12.5M [Twelve Million Five Hundred Thousand
United
States Dollars] can be paid to you and then we and you can share the
money.
70%= "$8.75MUSD" to us "Fred Bartlett & Associates" and 30%= "$3.75M
USD" to
you. We have all necessary legal documents that can be used to back up
any
claim we may make. All we 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.

Please get in touch with me through our Confidential E-mail:
fredbartlett115@myway.com to enable us discuss further. Don't forget
to
include your tel/fax numbers while replying this mail for easy
communication.

Best Regards,

Barrister Fred Bartlett


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