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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "barrist william" <barristwillia20@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: barrister_davidwilliam@yahoo.com
Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 07:39:05 -0600
Subject: ATTN: EDMUND

FROM THE DESK OF BARRISTER DAVID WILLIAMS
SENIOR ADVOCATE, SOLICITORS,NOTARIES ,PROPERTY & CIVIL LAW.
DAVID WILLIAMS'S CHAMBERS & FINANCIAL ATTORNEY
50 WESTERN AVENUE,LAGOS-NIGERIA.
 
                 ATTN: EDMUND
 
WITH COMPLIMENTS AND RESPECT PLEASE I BEG YOUR PARDON FOR THIS
UNSOLICITED NATURE, IT WAS OUT OF DESPERATION AND CURIOSITY THAT MADE ME TO CONTACT YOU, TO INTRODUCE MYSELF, I AM BARRISTER DAVID WILLIAMS, A SOLICITOR AT LAW. I AM THE PERSONAL ATTORNEY TO LATE MR WINSTIN EDMUND, A NATIONALITY OF YOUR COUNTRY, HE WAS INTO CURDE OIL AND OIL TOOLS HERE IN NIGERIA, IS REFERRED TO AS MY TRUSTED CLIENT.ON SUNDAY, 27TH OF JANUARY 2003 AT (15:53 GMT), MY CLIENT, HIS WIFE {LADY ANNA AND THEIR TWO CHILDREN {ELIZABETH, DEXTER } WERE INVOLVED IN TERRIBLE BOMB BLAST THAT TOOK LIVE OF INNOCENT SOULS AND UNFORTUNATELY OVER 1000, PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES AND MY CLIENT AND HIS FAMILY WERE PART OF THIS PEOPLE THAT LOST THEIR LIVES IN IKEJA GOVERMENT RESERVE AREA WHERE THEY LIVED. IN VIEW OF THIS PLEASE VIEW THE WEB PAGE BELOW:
 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2698081.stm SINCE THEN I HAVE MADE SEVERAL ENQUIRIES TO YOUR EMBASSY TO LOCATE ANY OF MY CLIENT'S EXTENDED RELATIVES, THIS HAS ALSO PROVED UNSUCCESSFUL.AFTER THESE SEVERAL UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS, I DECIDED TO TRACK HIS LAST NAME , TO LOCATE ANY MEMBER OF HIS FAMILY OR ANY CLOSE NAME TO HIS,HENCE I CONTACTED YOU. I AM CONTACTING YOU TO ASSIST INREPATRIATING THE MONEY AND PROPERTY LEFT BEHIND BY MY CLIENT BEFORE THEY GET LIQUIDATED OR DECLARED UNSERVICEABLE BY THE BANK WHERE THIS HUGE DEPOSITS WERE LODGED, PARTICULARLY THE UNION BANK OF NIGERIA PLC WHERE THE DECEASED HAD HIS ACCOUNT VALUED PRECISELY TO BE {USD$8.MILLION US DOLLARS .}
 
THE BANK HAS ISSUED ME A NOTICE TO PROVIDE THE NEXT OF KIN OR
HAVE THE ACCOUNT LIQUIDATED WITHIN THE NEXTTWENTY-ONE OFFICIAL WORKING DAYS.
CONSEQUENTLY, MY PROPOSAL IS THAT I WILL LIKE YOU AS A NATIONAL OF SAME COUNTRY TO STAND IN AS THE NEXT OF KIN ,SO THAT THE FRUITS OF THIS OLD MAN'S LABOR WILL NOT GET INTO THE HANDS OF SOME GROUP OF CORRUPT GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WHO WILL GET RID OF THE MONEY AND SHARE IT FOR THEIR OWN SELFISH INTEREST AND GREED. SINCE I HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL IN LOCATING HE RELATIVES FOR OVER 2 YEARS NOW, I SEEK YOUR PROMPT CONSENT TO PRESENT YOU AS THE NEXT OF KIN OF THE DECEASED SINCE YOU HAVE THE SAME LAST NAME SO THAT THE PROCEEDS OF THIS ACCOUNT VALUED AT USD$8.MILLION US DOLLARS .
 
CAN BE PAID TO YOU AND THEN YOU AND I CAN SHARE THE MONEY ACCORDING TO ANY AGREED RATIO.ALL I REQUIRE IS YOUR HONEST CO-OPERATION TO ENABLE US SEEING THIS DEAL HROUGH. I GUARANTEE THAT THIS WILL BE EXECUTED UNDER LEGITIMATE ARRANGEMENT THAT WILL PROTECT YOU FROM ANY BREACH OF THE LAW.
LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR SWIFT REPLY.
TRULY YOURS,
 
BARRISTER DAVID WILLIAMS
 
PLEASE SEND TO ME YOUR DIRECT CONTACT TELEPHONE NUMBERS AS WILL LIKE TO
TALK WITH YOU ONE ON ONE.


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