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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: "MY GOOD FRIEND" <patrick.joop2005@yahoo.de>
Date: Thu, 28 Jun 2007 18:09:40 +0700
Subject: GREETINGS AND COMPLEMENT.


Dear Friend

Greetings and compliments.

I am Patrick Joop, a solicitor at law. I was the personal attorney to Eng.
Gilbert M. Reain, a national of your country who used to work with an oil
servicing company here in the Netherlands thereof be referred to as my
client.

Eng. Gilbert M. Reain, 62 years of age made a fixed deposit of fund valued
at USD$12,500,000 (Twelve
Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars Only) with a Finance
Company here in Europe and
unfortunately lost his life in an Egyptian charter plane Boeing 737 which
crashed into the Red Sea early
on January 3 shortly after taking off from the resort of Sharm el-Sheikh,
killing all the 135 passengers and
13 crew members aboard, Ref: (View:
http://english.people.com.cn/200401/04/eng20040104_131791.shtml).
He left no clear beneficiary as Next of Kin except some vital documents
related to the deposit still in
my possession.

Recently, the governing body of the Finance Company contacted me on this
matter, requesting that I should
notify the next of kin of my late client to claim the funds and I am yet to
provide the Next of Kin to lay
claims to the Fund. I know that my client had no living next of kin but I
went ahead and made several
inquiries to your embassy to locate any of my late client's extended
relatives but this has proved
unsuccessful. Under a clear and legitimate agreement with you, I seek your
consent to present you as the
next of kin, so that my late client's fund will not be confiscated by the
Finance Company.

You and I can share the money, you will be entitled to 40% of the total
fund for your role as the relative
and next of kin of my late client, 50% for me while 10% is to be marked out
for any expenses that will be
incurred during the clearance or process of transfer of the fund to your
bank account. Be informed that
there is no risk involved as all necessary legal documents that will be
used to back you up as the
legal beneficiary and next of kin of my late client will be procured.

All I require is your sincerity, honesty, co-operation and utmost good
faith to enable us see this deal
through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate
arrangement that will protect you from
any breach of the law. Kindly, get in touch with me by my e-mail
(patjoop2005@yahoo.de) or
telephone to enable us discuss further. You may also send your telephone
number so that I can call you.
Do not forget that a transaction of this magnitude requires utmost
confidentiality and sincerity. I look
forward to your urgent response.

Thank you,

Regards
Barrister Patrick Joop.
Phone: +31-617-639-271 .
Fax: +31-847-181-615.


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