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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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.

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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "your urgent reply" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "lee chow" <leechow_consulting@msn.com>
Reply-To: lee_chow107@yahoo.com
Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2006 03:20:30 +0000
Subject: REPLY ASAP

Mr. Li Chow Wai
Credit Officer,
Bank of East Asia
16/F, Tower 1, Admiralty
Centre, 18 Harcourt Road,
Central, Hong Kong.

Dear Friend,

I am Mr. Li Chow Wai, Credit Officer Bank Of East
Asia (BEA) Hong Kong. I
have a sincere and very confidential business
proposition for you.

On October 6th 1999, a British Consultant /
Contractor with the Chinese
Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. David Woodbin made a
(Fixed) Deposit for
Twelve calendar months, valued at US$43,600,000.00
(Forty Three Million
six Hundred United State Dollars only) 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
from his contract employers, the Chinese Ministry of
Agriculture that Mr.
David Woodbin died after a brief illness on
prostrate cancer. On further
indebt investigation, I found out that he died
without notifying anybody
about the deposit in my bank. This sum of
US$43,600,000.00 is still
sitting in my Bank and the interest is being rolled
over with the
principal sum at the end of each year. No one will
ever come forward to
claim it.

According to the Hong Kong Law, under the Chinese
constitution at the
expiration of 6 (Six) years, such funds will revert
to the ownership of
the Government for financing military operations on
defense affairs, such
as purchasing of arms and ammunitions for the
military.

Against this backdrop, my suggestion to you is that
I will like you as a
foreigner to stand as the next of kin to Mr. David
Woodbin so that you
will be able to receive his funds.

The money will be paid into your account for us to
share in the ratio of
60% for me and 40% for you on your assistance. There
is no risk at all as
all the paperwork for this transaction will be done
by my attorney and
with my position as the Accounting Officer,
guarantees the successful
execution of this transaction. If you are
interested, please reply
immediately.

Upon your response, I shall then provide you with
more details and that
will help you understand the transaction.

You should observe utmost confidentiality, and rest
assured that this
transaction would be most profitable for both of us
because I shall
require your assistance to invest my share in your
country.

Awaiting your urgent reply.

Thanks and regards.

Mr. Li Chow Wai

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam