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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: Richard Cole <richcole212@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2006 12:27:00 +0100
Subject: cole


Dear Friend, (richardcole212@netscape.net)

My name is Richard Cole, I am a senior banker in a bank here in the SOUTH AFRICA,
I am contacting you for a business transfer, of a huge sum of money from a deceased
account. Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make any one
apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that everything documents that will
bring about the success of this transaction would be provided, and all will be well at
the end of the day. I decided to contact you due to the urgency of this transaction.

The deceased person who died Neal Walker died in an air crash along with his wife on
the 31st October 1999 in an Egyptian airline 990 with other passengers on board was an
American Oilconsultant/contractor with the Chinese Solid Minerals Corporation. You can
confirm his death from the website below which was published by BBC WORLD NEWS.
WEBSITE.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/502503.stm
Since his death, none of his next-of-kin are alive to make claims for this money as his
heir, because they all died in the same accident himself and his wife (May their soul
rest in peace). We cannot release the fund from his account unless someone applies for
claim as the next-of-kin to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines.

Upon this discovery, I now seek your permission to have you stand as a next of kin to
the deceased, as all documentations will be carefully worked to make you the
beneficiary to the funds $21,800 000 00 USD.ACCOUNT.(Twenty one million, eight hundred
thousand US.DOLLAR) which will be released in your favor as the next of kin. Because
after six years the money will be called back to the bank bond treasury as unclaimed
bills and the money shared amongst the directors of the bank. so it is on this note I
decided to seek for whom his name shall be used as the next of kin/beneficiary to this
funds rather than allow the bank directors to share this money amongst themselves at
the end of the year.

It may interest you to know that we have secured from the probate an order of mandamus
to locate any of the deceased beneficiaries. Please acknowledge receipt of this message
in acceptance of our mutual business endeavor by furnishing me with the following
information if you are interested.

1. Full names and address,
2. Telephone and fax number


For our personal contact and mutual trust in each other.
I shall be compensating you with 35% of the above amount on final conclusion of this
project for your assistance, the balance 65% shall be for me , because I intend to
retire after the conclusion of this transaction . If this proposal is acceptable by
you, please endeavor to contact me immediately. Do not take undue advantage of the
trust I have bestowed in you, I await your urgent mail to my personal
email:richardcole212@netscape.net

Best Regards,
Mr.Richard cole
richardcole212@netscape.net

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