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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: "Mark Olusegun" <makolu10@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: markolu05@myway.com
Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2006 09:22:34 +0000
Subject: FROM MR.MARK OLUSEGUN

DEAREST,

MY NAME IS MR.MARK OLUSEGUN,

I AM WRITING IN RESPECT OF A FOREIGN CUSTOMER OF MY BANK(WILLIAM BARNES, OF
AMERICA) WHO PERISHED IN THE PLANE CRASH OF 31 OCTOBER 1999[WITH EGYPTIAN
AIRLINE 990] WITH OTHER PASSENGERS ABOARD AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE WEBSITE
BELOW : http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/world/americas/502503.stm

SIR/MADAM, SINCE THE DEMISE OF WILLIAM BARNES, 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 HER FUNDS OF USD30M,[THIRTY MILLION UNITED STATES
DOLLARS]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
SEVEN YEARS, BECAUSE AFTER SEVEN 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 CONVINCED IN MY MIND THAT YOUR NAME/COMPANY COULD BE
USED AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO THIS CLAIM. THE REQUEST OF THE FOREIGNER AS A
NEXT OF KIN ITHIS BUSINESS IS OCCASIONED BY THE FACT THAT THE CUSTOMER WAS A
FOREIGNER AND A NIGERIAN CANNOT 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 10% WILL TAKE OF ANY EXPENSES THAT
MIGHT BE INCURRED IN THE PROCESS OF SUCCEEDING THE TRANSFER AND THE REST
WILL BE FOR ME. THEREAFTER I WILL VISIT YOUR COUNTRY FOR DISBURSEMENT AS I
AM ALMOST DUE FOR RETIREMENT.

UPON THE RECEIPT OF YOUR ACCEPTANCE, I WILL SEND YOU BY FAX OR E-MAIL A
DRAFT APPLICATION OF CLAIM WHICH YOU WILL SEND TO THE BANK AS THE NEXT OF
KIN 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 HAS
BEEN PERFECTED FOR THE TRANSFER. PLEASE REPLY TO MY PRIVATE EMAIL ADDRESS :
olusgun4@yahoo.com.ar

HOPING TO HEAR FROM YOU.

REGARDS,
MR.MARK OLUSEGUN
PLEASE REPLY TO MY PRIVATE EMAIL :olusgun4@yahoo.com.ar


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