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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: andrew nelson <andrewnelson_10@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <andrewnelson20@myway.com>
Date: Wed, 23 May 2007 14:59:01 +0100
Subject: DEAR FRIEND,



ANDREW CHAMBERS,LEGAL PRACTITIONER AND NOTARY PUBLIC &HIGH COURT REPRESENTATIVE,8 PILGRIM STREET EC4V 6LB LONDON,Email:andrewnelson20@myway.com Dear Friend, It is obvious that this proposal will come to you as a surprise.However, I am Barrister Andrew Nelson the personal Attorney to late Engr. Candy Odell a national of your country who used to work with Shell Development Company (SDC) here in London United Kingdom. On the 21st of April 2001, my client, his wife And their three children were involved in a car accident along Fletcher Express Road, Chiswick,London,UK. Unfortunately they all lost their lives in the event of the accident, Since then I have made several inquiries to several Embassies to locate any of my clients extended relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful. After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace his relatives but of no avail, hence I contacted you. I contacted you to assist in retrieving the money and property left behind by my client, I can easily convince the bank with my legal practice that you are the only surviving relation of my client. Otherwise the Estate he left behind will be confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bank where this huge deposit was lodged. Particularly, the Bank where the deceased had an account valued at about $12million U.S dollars (twelve million U.S.America dollars). Consequently, In accordance with the British Banking Laws, the Board of Directors of the Bank met a forth night ago and resolved to turn the estate of the deceased over to the Government having waited for so long without the deceased relatives/next of kin surfacing and if this is done, Invariably the funds and the estate will end up becoming Government property. The bank today issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or have the account confiscated within the next ten official working days.since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over several years now. I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased, so that the proceeds of this account valued at $12million U.S dollars can be paid to your account and then you and i can share the money. 55%to me and 40% to you, while 5% should be for expenses or tax as your government may require. Your information such as: 1.Your full name2.Resident Address3.Telephone/Fax Numbers4.Your Occupation Is required for immediate commencement of this transaction. I have all necessary legal documents that can be used to back up any claim we may make. All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us see this deal through, I. guarantee you that this will be executed under legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. Please get in touch with me by my private email(andrewnelson20@myway.com) to enable us discuss further. Regards,Barrister Andrew Nelson. (Esq)
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