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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: Awelekume Patricks <awelekumedp51@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <awelawchambers200@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 2 Aug 2007 12:22:32 +0100
Subject: INHERITANCE CLAIM.




Duke Patricks(Legal)Associates,(Barrister & Solicitor)137 Breadfruit-Crescent,Flora Plaza,(Behind Delta Cluster)Victoria Island,Lagos-Nigeria. Telephone: +234-808-045-3427. Dearest Friend, Please kindly accept my apology for sending unsolicited mail to you. I believe you are a highly respected personality, considering the fact that I sourced your profile from a human resource profile data base on your country. Though, I don't know to what extent you are familiar to this events.Well,I am barrister Awelekume Duke Patricks a Solicitor. I am the Personal Attorney to Dr.Jeremiah Scott, who was a contractor with the DEPARTMENT OF PETROLEUM RESOURCES VICTORIA ISLAND, LAGOS. Dr. Jeremiah Scott,Died In a Plane Crash with his wife and their only daughter On May 02,2002,while returning from Port Harcourt to Kano. Since i got Information about his death, I have made several enquiries to your Embassy to locate any of my clients extended relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful.After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace his relatives over the Internet to locate any member of his family but of no avail hence I contacted you.I contacted you to assist in repartrating the money and property left behind by my client before they get confiscated or declared lodged,unserviceable by the bank where this huge deposits were Particularly,the Bank where the deceased had account valued at about $9.5million dollars. Conseqently,The bank issued me a notice to provide the next of kin/beneficiary of the fund or have the account confiscated within the next 21 official working days.since i have been unsuccesfull in locating the relatives for over years now. I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin/beneficiary of the deceased since you are from the same country, so that the proceeds of this account valued at $9.5 million dollars can be paid to you.I agree that 45% of this money will be for you as foreign partner, in respect to stand as the next of kin to Dr.Jeremiah Scott and 55% would be for me. All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us see this transaction through. I require your full names,address,age and phone number.Reach me through this email address awelawchambers111@yahoo.com Thanks while waiting your response. With Best Regards,Barrister Awelekume Duke Patricks Esq.
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