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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: Dayo Raymond <probate502@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <zenith603@excite.com>
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 03:13:47 +0100
Subject: Last Notice...Awaiting your confirmation!!!



Good Day,

I am a principal executive officer of one of the top banks in Lagos, Nigeria. I am contacting you concerning a deceased customer and an investment he placed under our banks management six years ago. I would respectfully request that you keep the contents of this mail confidential. I am contacting you to solicit for your assistance to help me safeguard funds amounting to Fifteen million, three hundred and twenty thousand United States dollars left by one of our deceased customers whose relatives could not be traced, as he died without any registered next of kin and as such the funds now have an open beneficiary mandate. You will be presented as the Next-Of-Kin to the deceased to enable our institution transfer the money to you as the legitimate legal beneficiary.

We share the proceeds 60% for me, and 40% for you. I will give you more details about the transaction when I receive your affirmative response.

I look forward to hearing from you soonest.

Yours faithfully,

Dayo Raymond.
_________________________________________________________________
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