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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: MR.THAI <thaivietnam@walla.com>
Reply-To: indovia-thai@fsmail.net
Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2007 23:15:16 +0200
Subject: INDOVINA BANK OF VIETNAM'''URGENT PROPOSAL FROM '''PLEASE READ AND RESPOND NOW


FROM Mr: LE MINH THAI
INDOVINA BANK OF VIET NAM
39 Ham nghi St., Dist. 1,
HoChiMinh City. vietnam
EMAIL ME NOW : indovia-thai@fsmail.net

PRIVATE AND URGENT.
I am contacting you in regards to a business transfer of a huge sum of money from a deceased account. Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make anyone apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that all will be well at the end of the day. We decided to contact you due to the urgency of this transaction.
PROPOSITION;
We discovered an abandoned sum of (Twenty Million United states Dollars)in an account that belongs to one of our foreign customers who died along with his entire family. Since his death, none of his next-of-kin or relations has come forward to lay claims to this money as the heir.
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, we now seek your permission to have you stand as a next of kin to the deceased as all documentations will be carefully worked out by us for the funds (Twenty Million United states Dollars) to be released in your favour as the beneficiary's next of kin.
It may interest you to note that we have secured from the probate an order of mandamus to locate any of deceased beneficiaries. Please acknowledge receipt of this message in acceptance of our mutual business endeavour by furnishing me with the following;
1. Your Full Names and Address.
2. Direct Telephone and Fax numbers.
These requirements will enable us file a letter of claim to the appropriate departments for necessary approvals in your favour before the transfer can be made. We shall be compensating you with 3 Million Dollars on final conclusion of this project, while the rest shall be for us. Your share stays with you while the rest shall be for us for investment purposes in your country.
If this proposal is acceptable by you, do not take undue advantage of the trust we have bestowed in you,
I await your urgent email.
Please reply to my EMAIL:
Regards,
Mr LE MINH THAI

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