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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: "William Malhiro" <will_malhiro@yahoo.de> (may be fake)
Date: Thu, 16 Mar 2006 11:54:27 +0100
Subject: Treat Urgent

From William Malhiro
Direct Tel: +221 4542103.
Hello My Dear.
First I must solicit your confidence in this transaction, this is by virtue of its nature as being utterly confidential and top secret. Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make any one apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that this is real and genuine.
I’m William Malhiro the head of corporate and institutional banking Bills in African Development Bank Branch Dakar-Senegal. I came to know you in my private search for a reliable and reputable person to handle this Confidential Transaction, which involves the transfer of a huge sum of money to a foreign account requiring maximum confidence.
MY PROPOSITION;
During my audit exercise i discovered an abandoned sum of £20,500,000.00 (Twenty million Five hundred thousand great British pounds sterling)in an account that belongs to one of our late customers a German estate tycoon (Andreas Schranner) who died along with his wife and entire family on 25th July,2000,Air France Concorde flight 4590 plane crash. Since his death, none of his next-of-kin or relations has come forward to lay claims for this money as the heir. African Development 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, unfortunately, no family member nor relative has ever appeared to claim the said fund Upon this discovery, I now seek your permission to have you stand as next of kin to the deceased so that the fund £20,500,000.00 (Twenty million Five hundred thousand great British pounds sterling)can be released and paid into your account as the benefici
ary's next of kin otherwise the fund will be returned to the Senegalese government treasury as unclaimed funds and will be subsequently confiscated by the Senegalese Government at the expiration of Six years duration which is this year.
All documents to enable you receive this funds will be carefully worked out. Please acknowledge receipt of this message in acceptance of my mutual business endeavour by furnishing me with the following;
(1) Send to me immediately A bank account ( a bank
account with zero credit balance is still ok)
(2) Complete name and address of the Bank
(3) Bank Account Number
(4) Name of Account Holder/Beneficiary
(5) Your address, phone and fax
These requirements will enable us file letters of claim to the appropriate departments for necessary approvals in your favour before the transfer can be made. you can view the stated site for details http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm then If this proposal is acceptable by you, do not take undue advantage of the trust we have bestowed in you.
I await your sincere cooperation and reply.
Best Regards.
William Malhiro.
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