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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: "Geoffrey Herm" <herm_9999@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: geoffrey_00@myway.com
Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2006 05:24:19 -0400
Subject: Notification of Bequest.


From:Geoffrey Herm Esq.(For Trustees)
London - United Kingdom.
            Notification of Bequest.
On behalf of the Trustees and Executor of the estate
of Late Mr. Michael Lambert, I once again try to
notify you as my earlier letter was
returned undelivered. I hereby attempt to reach you
again by this same email address on the WILL. I wish
to notify you that late Mr. Michael Lambert made you
a beneficiary to his WILL. He left the sum of Five
Million One Hundred Thousand Dollars (USD$5,100.000.00
) to you in the codicil and last  testament to his
will. This may sound strange and unbelievable to you
since none of his family member seems to know you, but
it is real and true.
Being a widely travelled man, he must have been in
contact with you in the past or simply you were
nominated to him by one of his
numerous friends abroad who wished you good.
Mr.Michael Lambert until his death was a member of the
Helicopter Society and the Institute of Electronic &
Electrical Engineers. He was a very dedicated
Christian who loved to give out. His great
philanthropy earned him numerous awards during his
life time. Late Mr.Michael Lambert  died on the 16th
day of February 2004 at the age of 90 years, and his
WILL is now ready for execution. According to him this
money is to help the poor and the needy. Please if I
reach you as I am hopeful, endeavor to get back to me
as
soon as possible to enable me conclude my job. I hope
to hear from you in no distant  time.
Yours in His service,
Geoffrey Herm Esq.(For Trustees)


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