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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: "mike johnson" <mikejohnson00@hotmail.co.uk>
Reply-To: simonyanga00@hotmail.co.uk
Date: Wed, 07 Mar 2007 15:04:40 +0000
Subject: CONFIDENTIAL

ATTN: DEAR
 
  CONFIDENTIAL
 
 I know that this message will come to you as surprise as we don’t know ourselves before. I am Dr. Mike Johnson, the chief accountant of FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF SOUTH AFRICA (FNB). There is an account open in this bank in1999 and since 2001 nobody has operated on this account again.
 
After going through some old files in the records, I discovered that if I do not remit this money out urgently it would be forfeited for nothing. The owner of this account is Mr.  Smith B. Andreas, a foreigner, and a miner at Kruger Gold Company, a Geologist by profession and he died since2000.No other person knows this account or anything concerning it, the account has no other beneficiary and my investigation proved to me as well that this company does not know anything about this account and the money involved is Fifteen Million United States Dollars (US$ 15 Million). I want us to first transfer from this money into a safe overseas account.
 
I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money cannot be approved to a local bank here, but can only be approved to any foreign account because the money is in United States Dollars and the former owner Mr. Smith B. Andreas is a foreigner too

So please reply urgently so that  I will inform you the next step to take immediately. Send also your private telephone and fax numbers. I want us to meet face to-face and sign a binding agreement to bind us together so that you can receive this money into your account where the fund will be safe. And I will fly to your country for withdrawal and sharing and other investment.
 
   Meanwhile, I am contacting you because of the need to involve a foreigner
 with foreign account and foreign beneficiary. I need your full co-operation
 to make this work fine because the management is ready to approve this  payment to any foreigner who has correct information of this account, which  I will give to you as soon as you indicate your sincerity to co-operate with  me, and capability to handle such amount in strict confidence and trust  according to my instruction and advice for our mutual benefit because this opportunity may never come again in my life.
 
I need a truthful and God fearing person in this business because I don’t want
 to make a mistake so I need your strong assurance and trust. With my position in the office I don’t want anything that will jeopardize my job so I advice that we should make secrecy and confidentiality our primary working condition, bearing in mind that I am a public servant. I will also use my position and influence to   effect legal approvals and onward transfer of this money to your account with appropriate clearance forms of the ministries and foreign exchange department.
   At the conclusion of this business, you will be giving 25% of the total
 amount, 70% will be for me, while 5% will be for expenses both parties might have incurred in the process of the transfer.
 
 I look forward to your reply
 
 Regard,
 
 Dr. mike johnson


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