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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: "ibmusa01" <ibmusa01@itelefonica.com.br>
Date: Wed, 31 May 2006 09:05:06 -0300
Subject: INVITING YOU TO ACT AS NEXT OF KIN


Barrister Ibrahim Musa
First Atlantic Bank PLC
4/6Adetokunbo Ademola Street
P. O. Box 75369
Victoria Island, Lagos-Nigeria

Dear Sir/Madam

I am Barrister Ibrahim Musa special advicer on finance at First
Atlantic Bank PLC.

I am writing following an opportunity in this bank that will be of immense benefit to both of us. In this bank we discovered an abandoned sum of 10.5 million BritishPounds Sterling (Ten million five hundred thousand British Pounds) in an account that belongs to one of our foreign customers Late Dr.MorrisTowne an American who unfortunately involved in a ghastly auto accident along Shagamu Express road, unfortunately, all occupants of the vehicle lost their lives On the 21st of October 2000, including his wife and only daughter.

Since we got information about his death, we have been expecting his
next of kin or relatives to come over and claim his money because we cannot release it unless somebody applies for it as next of kin or relation to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines.

Unfortunately I learnt that his supposed next of kin being his only daughter Sheryl Towne,unfortunately she was involved in the auto accident leaving nobody with the knowledge of this fund behind for the claim.

It is therefore upon this discovery that I and one other officials in this bank now decided to make business with you and release the money to you as the next of kin or beneficiary of the funds for safety keeping and subsequentdisbursement since nobody has come for it and we don’t want this money to go back into Government treasury as unclaimed bill.

The banking law and guidelines here stipulates that such money remained
after five years the money will be transferred into banking treasury as
unclaimed funds.

We agreed that 30 percent of this money would be for you as foreign partner, while the balance will be for me and my colleague.

we will visit you in your country for the disbursement according to the
percentages indicated above once this money gets into your account.

As soon as you receive this mail you should contact me Immediatelly by return mail.
Please! Please!reply throught this my pravite email box;ibmusa2000@excite.com

I pray your urgent response.

if you are ready to claim this fund.

Send immediately, your full Name, Address, Private phone and Fax number
to my email address so that we can proceed with the preparation of
some legal documents making you the Next of Kin to Dr. Morris Towne and the beneficiary of this fund.

We will discuss much in details when I do receive

wait for your response.

Best regards

Barrister Ibrahim Musa

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