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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: "Mr. Gabriel Overbeek" <gabieloverbeek@mail.nu>
Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 17:35:26 +0100
Subject: Good day to You!

I am Mr. Gabriel Overbeek (FCAA), the Head of the Foreign /Remittance department OF ABN AMRO
BANK DEN HAAG. There was an account open in this bank in 1999 and since 2001 nobody has
operated on this account again. After going through some old files in the records, I discovered that if I do
not remit this money out urgently it would be forfeited for nothing. The owner of this account is Mr. Morris
Thomson, a foreigner, Business Man and a miner at Kruger Gold Company, a Geologist by profession and
he died since 2000.No other person knows this account or anything concerning it, the account has no
other beneficiary and my investigation proved to me as well that his company does not know anything
about this account and the money involved is Thirty Six Million United States Dollars (US$ 36Million). I
want us to first transfer US$ 26 Million from this money into your safe overseas account before the rest.
I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money cannot be
approved to a local bank here, but can only be approved to any foreign
Account because the money is in United States Dollars and the former
Owner Mr. Morris Thomson is a foreigner too.According to the new Monetary policy now, all deposits that
are unclaimed for a period of 7years will be coverted to the government's account. So we have to act
fast now before it is too late. I know that this message
come to you as surprise as we don't know ourselves before.
You can view the web site below for more information on our late client.
http://archives.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska.airlines.list/
I got your details courtesy of a member of EU/Netherlands export
Promotion council (N.E.P.C) who was at your country during a trade
Exhibition as a government delegation; with believe in God that you will never let me down in this
business, considering my position as a public servant. You are the only person that I have contacted in
this business; so please reply urgently so that I will inform you the next step to take immediately. Send
also your private telephone and fax numbers including the full details of your account to be used for the
deposit. And I will fly to your country for withdrawal and
sharing and other investment.
Meanwhile, I am contacting you because of the need to involve a
Foreigner with foreign account and foreign beneficiary. I need your full co-operation to make this work
fine because the management is ready to approve this payment to any foreigner who has correct
information of this account, which I will give to you as soon as you indicate your sincerity to co-operate
with me, and capability to handle such amount in strict confidence and trust according to my instruction
and advice for our mutual benefit because this opportunity may never come again in my life. With my
position in the office I don't want anything that will jeopardize my job so I advice that we should make
secrecy and confidentiality our primary working condition, bearing in mind that I am a public servant. I will
also use my position and influence to effect legal approvals and onward transfer of this money to your
account with appropriate clearance forms of the ministries and foreign exchange department.
If you are interested, Please contact me through email now!!!
as soon as possible.
Thanking you in advance for your anticipated co-operation.
I await your urgent response.
Yours sincerely,

Mr. Gabriel Overbeek

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