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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: drmelk okey <drmelkokey26@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: drmelkokey@walla.com
Date: Mon, 12 Jun 2006 13:38:20 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Compliment of the day


Headquarter,
First Bank of Nigeria Plc.
Lagos, Nigeria.
Sir,
Compliment of the day and how is life general with you? Of course it is my humble wish to solicit and crave your indulgence to make this project request for a joint business transaction which I hope will not come to you as a surprise, hence I plead for your pardon.
I am Dr. Melk Okey, the Manager of Headquarter First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Lagos. I have an urgent and confidential business proposal for you. On April 30 2002, an American oil consultant/contractor with via National Petroleum cooperation (NNPC) Mr. Peter Bush made a numbered time (fixed) deposit for twelve calenderer month valued at US$14,600,000.00(Fourteen Million Six Hundred Thousand US Dollars) in my branch.
On maturity, I sent a routine notification to his forwarded address but got no reply after months we send a reminder and finally we discovered from his contract employee (Nigeria national petroleum Corporation) that Mr. Peter Bush died from an automobile accident. On further investigation, it was clear that he died without making a will. All attempts to trace his next of kin were fruitless. I therefore made further investigation and discovered that Mr. Peter Bush did not declare any next of kin or relations in all his official documents including his deposit document in my bank. The total sum US$14,600,000.00 is still in my bank as dormant account. No one will ever come forward to claim it. According to Nigerian banking law, after five years, the money will revert to the ownership of theNigerian Government. If the account owner is certified death and nobody comes forward to claim it.
This is the situation, and my proposal is that I am looking for a foreigner who will stand in as the beneficiary/next of kin. This is simple. All you have to do is to immediately send me the details of a bank account anywhere in the world for me to arrange the proper money transfer document. The money will then be transferred into the account for us to share in the ration of 60% for me 30% for you while the remaining 10% will be set aside for expenses incurred within here and there.
There is no risk involved. I am using my position and connection in the bank here to do all the document work for the transaction. We shall employ the services of an attorney to draft the will and obtain all necessary documents and letter of administration in your favour for the transfer. This transaction is risk free guaranteed. If you are interested, please reply immediately confidentiality and be rest assured that this transaction could be most profitable for both of us.
Please do not expose this deal if you are not interested because if you do, it will take me out of seat.
I await your urgent reply.
Best Regards,
Dr. Melk Okey

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