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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: "Mr. Louis Bethany" <louis_bethany@o2.pl> (may be fake)
Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2006 11:40:11 +0100
Subject: Proposition.

Dear Sir/Madam,
May I crave your indulgence to solicit your co-operation for partnership.
The protracted quest in locating relatives of my deceased client has been fruitless. However, since he is dead and no more and no trace of any of his relatives living or dead after all the efforts I have made in the past years, I want you to stand as my late client's next of kin/beneficiary here in London to claim the cash deposit.
I will also like you to know that by virtue of my brief and my closeness to the deceased, I am very much aware of my client's financial standing, which he operated here in London.
Along with some other passengers, my client died "INTESTATE" nine years ago in a plane crash as reported on this Site: www.cnn.com/WORLD/9708/06/guam.passenger.list <http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9708/06/guam.passenger.list>
I shall assemble all the necessary Legal Documents that will be used to back up our claims. All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us see this deal through.
I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. I am currently in London to execute this task of finding a substantive or putative beneficiary and willing to disclose further details depending on your disposition to this matter. Please do not take offence, but I assure adequate compensation for your time, help and commitment.
Please reply as soon as you get this mail.
Yours faithfully,
Louis Bethany(Esq.)
N:B, This transaction is confidential and risk free.



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