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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: james parker <parkerjamess@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: support@fortis-bank.net
Date: Sat, 07 Oct 2006 14:38:11 +0200
Subject: KIND ATTENTION


FROM DR JAMES PARKER.
Bill & Exchange Manager 
FOREIGN REMITTANCE DEPT. 
FORTIS BANK OF HOLLAND
support@fortis-bank.net
 

DEAR FRIEND 
 
I am the manager of bill and exchange at the foreign remittance department of Fortis bank of Holland. I am writing this letter to you with trust and confidence.

In my department we discovered an abandoned sum of US$35.500.00 Thirty Five million five hundred thousand United state dollars) in an account that belongs to one of our foreign customer who died along with his entire family in November 2005 in a plane crash.
 
Since we got information about his death, we have been expecting his next of kin to come over and claim his money because we cannot release it unless some one applies for it as next of kin or relation to the deceased as indicated in our banking laws, but unfortunately we learnt that all his supposed next of kin or relation died alongside with him at the plane crash leaving nobody behind for the claim.
 
It is therefore upon this discovery that I and other officials in my department now decided to make this business proposal to you and release the money to you as the next of kin or relation to the deceased for safety and subsequent disbursement since nobody is coming for it, and we don't want this money to go into the bank treasury as unclaimed bill.
 
The banking law and guidelines here stipulates that if such money remained unclaimed after TWO years the money will be transfer into the bank treasury as unclaimed fund.
 
The request of foreigner as next of kin in this business is by the fact that the customer was a foreigner and a citizen of this country cannot stand as next of kin to a foreigner.
 
We agree that 30% of this money will be for you as a foreign partner, in respect to the provision of a foreign account, 10% will be set aside for expenses that might come during the business and 60% would be for me and my colleagues.
 
There after my colleagues and I will visit your country for disbursement according to the percentage indicated. Therefore, 
 
to enable the immediate transfer of this fund to you as arranged, you must apply first to the bank as relation or next of kin of the deceased indicating your bank name, your bank account number, your private telephone and fax number for easy and effective communication and 
location wherein the money will be remitted. 
 
Upon receipt of your reply, I will send to you by fax or email the text of the application. I will not fail to bring to your notice that this transaction is hitch -free and that you should not entertain any atom of fear as all required arrangements have been made for the transfer. 

You should contact me immediately through our bank e mail address at support@fortis-bank.net as soon as you receive this letter. 
 
Yours faithful 
DR JAMES PARKER 
Bill & Exchange Manager 
FOREIGN REMITTANCE DEPT. 
FORTIS BANK OF HOLLAND
 

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