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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: "CHARLES OWEN OWEN" <charles.o.12@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: 1charles_owen@myway.com
Date: Mon, 11 Dec 2006 11:26:06 -0800
Subject: I NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE.

Hello,

I am Mr.Charles Owen, the personal accounts managing officer to Mr. Morgan
Russeter, a geologist, who lived and worked with the British International
Institute of Miners here in London U.K whom shall be referred to as my
client. On the 20th of June 2005, my client, his wife and their only
daughter were involved in a ghastly motor accident along N1 Preston highway
road South London. All occupants of their vehicle unfortunately lost their
lives. Since then I have made several
enquiries to locate any of my client's extended relatives, but this has
proved unsuccessful.

After these several unsuccessful attempts to trace late Mr. Russeter's
extended relatives or locate any member of his family, I decided to contact
you. I have contacted you to assist me in
repatriating the money and property left behind by my client before they get
confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bank where this huge deposit
were lodged. The Barclays bank of London where the deceased had an account
valued at about £2.6 Million British Pounds Sterling has issued me a notice
as his accounting officer to provide his next of kin or have his account
confiscated within
the next fourteen (14) official working days.

Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over a year
now, I seek your consent to present you to the bank as the next of kin of my
deceased client, so that the account valued at £2.6 million British Pounds
can be paid to you and then, you and me can share the money. I have all
necessary legal documents that can be used to back up our claim we may make.
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 and me from any breach of law.

Send your immediate response to this email address 1charles_owen@myway.com
for more explanation: I would want to have your telephone number for more
elaborate discussion.

Best Regards.
Charles Owen (Mr).

_________________________________________________________________
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