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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: "ben_ben79" <ben_ben79@terra.com.mx>
Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2006 08:14:25 -0600
Subject: CAN WE WORK?


Dear Friend,

I really do not want you to see this mail as a surprise, it took me a whole lot of time to decide on whom to TRUST and present for this claim.
I was privileged to find you through the Internet I am a legal practitioner and the personal attorney to late Mr. Wills a national of your country.
My client, his wife and their two children were involved in A Kenya Airways Airbus A310 jet carrying 169 passengers and 10 crew members crashed into the sea Sunday night, shortly after takeoff from Abidjan. The flight originated in Nairobi and was meant to stop over in Lagos but flew directly to Abidjan because of weather conditions over Lagos.
In view of this please view the web pages below:
http://archives.cnn.com/2000/WORLD/africa/01/31/kenya.airways.crash.01/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/632392.stm
http://www.kenyansabroad.org/statements/st_index.asp?showme=116
http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/aerosol/Case_studies/20000130_ivorycoast/
http://dnausers.d-n-a.net/dnetGOjg/300100.htm
My client was a successful and an accomplished gentleman. I have made several attempts through your embassy to locate any surviving relative as to reconcile his estate.
In addition, the Internet was used to no avail. Recently, I came across your name to utmost amazement discovered that you both bear the same surname and from the same country.
At stake is all of these, is a deposit of U$D 5. 9 M (Five million nine hundred Thousand US dollars) in my client domiciliary account here with one of the commercial bank.
After my client’s demise, his bankers instructed me to contact his next of kin for the legal transfer of the above stated amount.
There is a stipulation that the next of kin must be identified within a given period or the money will be forfeited as abandoned.
The abandoned property degree of 1996 gives the bank a legal authority for such a decision.
I am convinced that you may be linked with my late client or that you might be able to provide a clue.
I therefore, decided to contact you based on the already mentioned similarities. With every sense of professionalism, coupled with fairness, it will be legally proper to present you as the next of kin. If you so agree, the sum of U$D 5. 9 M (Five million nine hundred thousand US dollars) will be transferred to you, your share of the funds is 40% and 60% for me.
Be rest assured that as you comply to my directing this transaction will be executed in a legitimate arrangement that will prevent you from any breach of law in your country as it would be back with official documentation endorsed by the supreme court of Nigeria to legalize the claim of this transaction.
All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us conclude this transaction successfully.
Be rest assured this will be executed through a legitimate process that will absolutely protect you from any breach of law.

Please get in touch with me at your earliest convenience.
Ben Olokoya (Esq.)

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