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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: Barr Smith <donnaldesq17@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <donnaldesq2@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2007 10:14:07 +0000
Subject: Next OF KIN



Next OF KINChildren & Families Law Firm1-3 Brixton Rd London, SW9 6DE, United KingdomContact Person: Donnald Smith Esq Dear Friend, I am Barrister Donnald Smith Esq, a solicitor at law. I am the personal attorney to Mr.Tom Abraham,a national of your country, who is a Sole Contractor to Chevron Oil Producing Company.Here in after shall be referred to as my client,On the 25th of Decembar 2003, my client,on the single reason of visiting his inlaws.His wife{A LEBANESE} and their only daughter were involved in a Plane crash on their way home for the holidays and were among the 111 people confirmed dead. Since then I have made several inquiries to your embassy here to locate any of my client's extended relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful. After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to track over the Internet to locate any member of his family or relative hence i I contacted you. I have contacted you to assist in repatriating the fund valued at US$20.7 MILLION (TWENTY MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS) Left behind by my client before it get Confiscated or declared unserviceable by the Finance Firm where this huge amount was deposited. The said Finance Company has issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or have the account confiscated in the next six months.For the fact that I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives since then I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin to the deceased,so that the proceeds of this account can be paid to you.Therefore, on receipt of your positive response, your share should be 40% and the remaining 60% will be coming to me after the money is been creditted in your chosen account. I can assist in procuring the necessary information and legal documents that may be needed to actualise this proposal.All I require from you is your honest cooperation to enable us see this transaction through. I guarantee that this will be executed under legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. PLEASE VIEW THEWEBSITE:www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/index.html REGARDS.Barr.Donnald Smith Esq
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