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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: "Tony Richards" <tonyrichards5@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: tonyrichards6@hotmail.com
Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 10:14:46 +0000
Subject: GET BACK TO ME

Dear Sir,

I am Mr. Tony Richards; I work with a finance and security company here in
the United Kingdom. We had a foreign client, Zainal Abidin Bin Zin, born on
7th March 1940 in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia who was a cabinet Minister in
Malaysia and who had deposited a huge sum of money (US$15million dollars)
with our security Company on a fixed term.

Eventually, this client was among the victims (about 117 died) who died in
the train accident at Amagazaki Hyogo Province in Japan on April 25th, 2005.
Since then we have not had any body coming for the claims as the next of
kin. I discovered that Zainal Abidin Bin Zin did not declare any next of kin
or Relations in all official documents for this deposit. A situation I have
monitored closely with my position in the Company. Now, having monitored
this deposit and managed it over the years before his death, and hence
nobody has shown up as the next Of kin for the past year plus, I have
removed the file to my private save based on my position in this finance
company. The reason I am contacting you is because I am quite certain you
can stand in and claim these funds with my assistance. I have planned the
operation well in line with our company's Procedures and practice.

Precisely however, what this requires is that you put in an application with
a letter of Probate, showing copy of the Deposit document, which I will
forward to you. This will enable our finance Company at any of our branch
offices to recognize you as the next of kin to late Zainal Abidin Bin Zin.

I now solicit for your assistance to present you as the next of kin as every
other arrangement has being concluded by me and I am only waiting for a
foreigner to enable me move the fund to his account? I will need your
private telephone and fax numbers and your full name and address, company or
residential so that I can computerize them to tally with the next of kin
column in the certificate of deposit. This does not have any risk attached
to it, as I will handle all the internal documentations.

I therefore request you to confirm your interest by a return message and I
will furnish you with details. Lastly for the immediate take off of this
transaction you have to confirm your willingness and readiness to assist me
retrieve this deposit. Please for your assistance in this transaction you
will be entitled to 30% percent of the total sum and 10% percent will cover
all the expenses incurred in the process of the transaction. It is quite
necessary that this be kept as Confidential as possible for its Successful
completion within days. Reply via email: tonyrichards6@hotmail.com

I look forward to hearing from you.

Tony Richards

_________________________________________________________________
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