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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: "larry edwards" <larry084@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: mrlarry1@myway.com
Date: Sun, 05 Feb 2006 06:38:03 +0000
Subject: Thanks with great regards

>From the Desk of:
MR. LARRY EDWARDS

With great pleasure I, MR. LARRY EDWARDS an accountant of a Bank, I am
writing you in respect of a foreign customer a consultant/ with my
Government, The Foreign Costumer who’s name I shall declare as soon as you
indicate your interest made a numbered time (Fixed) Deposit for twelve
calendar months valued at S$20,500,000.00 (Twenty Million five Hundred
Thousand Dollars) in my branch.

Upon maturity, I sent a routine notification to his forwarding address but
got no reply. After a month, we sent a reminder and finally we discovered
that he is no more. I therefore made further investigation and discovered
that he died without making a WILL and all attempts to trace his next of kin
was fruitless. Also, he did not declare any next of kin or relations in all
his official documents, including his Bank Deposit paperwork in my Bank.
This sum of US$20,500,000.00 is still sitting in my Bank and the interest is
being rolled over with the principal sum at the end of each year.

Since the demise of this our customer, I have personally watched the account
with keen interest to see the next of kin but all has proved abortive as no
one has come to claim
his FIXED DEPOSIT fund of USD.$20.5million, [Twenty Million five Hundred
Thousand Dollars] which has been with my branch for a very long time. Since
his death, none of his next-of-kin or relations has come forward to lay
claims for this money as the heir. Hence I have decided to seek your
co-operation in this business deal due to the sensitivity of this
transaction. It may interest you to know that I am only contacting you as a
foreigner because this money cannot be approved to a local Bank account
here, but can only be approved to a foreigner with an account since the
money is in US Dollars. I have decided as a matter of urgency upon this
discovery now seek your permission to have you stand as next of kin to the
deceased as No one has ever come forward to claim this fund. In accordance
to Nigerian Law, fund deposited for a long period of time without claim will
be reverted to the Nigerian Government treasury if nobody applies to claim
this fund after a long period of time. I want you to co-operate with me I
have secured from the probate an Order of Madamus to locate any of deceased
beneficiaries. Hence I am contacting you with this proposal.

We shall employ the services of two Attorneys for drafting and notarization
of the WILL and to obtain the necessary documents and letter of
probate/administration in your favor for the transfer. The Bank cannot
release the fund from his account unless someone applies for claim as the
next-of-kin to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines. I have
resolved to finalize this transaction with some money to secure documents in
your name as the legal beneficiary of this fund $20.5m which guarantees our
safety and successful transfer. With the above suggestion, it is reliable,
safe and quick for transfer process.

Percentage and terms shall be discussed and agreed by the two of us before
any proceed on this project. Your response is highly imperative as this is a
TWO-man business deal transaction as I shall then provide you with more
details and relevant documents that will help you understand the
transaction. I need your assistance and co-operation to this reality .All
the paperwork for this transaction will be done by the Attorney You have
absolutely nothing to LOSE in assisting me instead, you have so much to
GAIN. Be rest assured that this transaction would be most profitable and 100
% risk free for both of us in as mush as you will keep it very confidential.

I will appreciate your early reply for commencement of business. Contact me
for acknowledgement by E-mail and whereby you are not interested; please
indicate in your reply so that I can seek for the assistance of someone
else. Thanks for your expected co-operation and treat ASAP, as your utmost
Trust, Honesty and Confidentiality will be highly appreciated in this
business deal.

Thanks with great regards.

MR. Larry Edwards


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