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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: "peter_obiefune" <peter_obiefune@terra.com.mx>
Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2006 17:37:12 -0600
Subject: URGENT REPLY


Dear Friend
My name is Mr.PETER OBIEFUNE i work in the credit and accounts department
of Union Bank of Nigeria Plc,Lagos, Nigeria. I write you in respect of aforeign customer with our bank, before his sudden death.His name is Mr.ALong,He was among those who died in a plane crash here in Nigeria inthe year 2002.Sir,since the demise of this our customer, Mr A.Longwho was an oil merchant/contractor, I have kept a close watch of the depositrecords and accounts and since then no body has come to claim the money inthis a/c as next of kin to the late Engineer.You can find out more on thissite www.dawodu.com/aluko14.htm http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/1968616.stm
He had only $18mllion in his a/c and the a/c is coded.
It is only an insider that could produce the code or password of the depositparticulars.Asitstands now, there is nobody in that position to produce the needed information other than my very self considering my position in the bank as his account officer.Based on the reason that nobody has come forward to claim the deposit as next ofkin, I hereby ask for your co operation in using your name as the next of kin to the deceased to send these funds out to a foreign offshore bank a/c for mutual sharing between myself and you.You should contact me through my alternative email account:peter_obiefune@myway.com and I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangementthat will protect you from any breach of the law.By this doing,what is required of you is to send an application laying claims of the deposit as next of kin to the deceased officially to the director of our bank.
I will need your full name and address,telephone and fax number for the processing of the transferin your name and favour.Finally i want you to understand that the request for a foreigner as the next of kin is occassioned by the fact that the customer was a foreigner and for that reason alone a Nigerian cannot represent as next of kin.Contact me then we shall discuss on how themoney will be split between us.Trusting to hear
from you, I remain Respectfully yours,
Best Regard,
Mr.PETER OBIEFUNE
Kindly reply to: peter_obiefune@myway.com

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