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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: "Alison Thompson" <alison_t_nig1@msn.com>
Reply-To: alison_thompson@gawab.com
Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 13:31:28 +0000
Subject: Hello! ( This is investment Opportunity for you not to ignore, ATTENTION Please)

URGENT AND CONFIDENTIAL

We want to transfer to overseas the sum of One hundred And Forty Two Million
United States Dollars (U.S.$142,000,000.00) from a country in Africa. I want
to ask you to kindly look for a reliable and Honest person who will be
capable and fit to provide Either an existing bank account or to set up a
new Bank account immediately to receive this money, Though an empty bank
account could serve this purpose As long as you will remain honest to me
till the end Of this important business trusting in you and Believing in God
that you will never let me down Either now or in time to come.

I am Thompson Alison, the External Auditor of a Bank. During the Course of
our auditing, I discovered a floating fund in an account opened in the bank
in 1990 and since 1993 nobody has operated on this account again. After
Going through some old files in the records, I Discovered that the owner of
the account died without An Heir apparent to the throne, hence the money is
Floating and if I do not remit this money out Urgently it will be forfeited
for nothing.

The owner of this account who is Mr. Eshed B. Willey, A foreigner and an
industrialist died, since 1990,until now no other person(s) knows about this
Account or could give any documentary evidence Concerning this account. As
such this account has no Other beneficiary and my investigation proved to me
as Well that Eshed B. Willey until his death was the Manager Oriental
Diamond Company, in South Africa. However, if you are interested in this
business we will start the first money transfer with Forty-Two Million U.S.
Dollars (U.S.$42,000,000.00) upon Successful transaction without any
disappointment from you. We shall also re-apply for the payment of the
Remaining amount to your account.

While the total amount involved is one hundred and forty two million United
States dollar (U.S.$142,000,000.00) only. I would want us to make a first
transfer of Forty Two Million United States Dollar. (U.S.$42,000,000.00)
from this money into a safe foreigner’s account abroad before the rest. I am
only Contacting you as a foreigner because this money can Not be approved to
a local account, without valid International foreign Agreement, but could
only be Approved to any foreigner with valid international Credentials:
passport or drivers license and foreign Account because this sum is in U.S.
dollars and The former owner of the account Mr. Eshed .B. Willey is a
Foreigner too, thus the money could only be approved Into a foreign account.

However, knowing all this, we will reach a binding Agreement in these
regards. As a matter of urgency, I will inform you the next Step to take,
while you send your private telephone And fax number including the full
details of the Account to be used for the deposit. I want us to meet face to
face to build confidence and to sign a binding agreement that will bind us
Together before transferring the money to any account of your choice where
the fund will be safe. Before we Fly to your country for withdrawal, sharing
and Investments, I need your full co-operation to make This business a
success, because the management is Ready to approve this payment to any
foreigner who has Correct information of this account, which the lawyer will
Provide to you, upon your positive response and once I am Convinced that you
are capable and will meet up with the instructions of a key bank official
who is deeply Involved with me in this business. I need your strong
Assurance that you will never let me down.

With my influence and the position in the bank we can transfer this money to
any foreigner's Reliable account, which you can provide with assurance that
this money will be intact pending our physical Arrival in your country for
sharing. And to build confidence that you can come immediately To discuss
with me face-to-face after which I will Make this remittance in your
presence and three of us Will fly to your country at least two days ahead of
The money going into the account. I will apply for annual leave to get visa
immediately I hear from you that you are ready to act as directed. To prove
the authenticity of the business I will use my position and influence to get
a good lawyer who will obtain all legal Approvals for onward transfer of
this money to your account with appropriate clearance from the relevant
ministries, Foreign exchange departments, embassy and Board of Internal
Revenue Services.

At the conclusion of this business, you will be Given 35% of the total
amount, 60% will be for me, While 5% will be for expenses both parties might
have Incurred during this process.
I look forward to your earliest reply through my email address:
( alison_thompson@gawab.com )

Yours truly,

Thompson Alison.


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