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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: "frank williams" <mrfrankwilliams_cpa@latinmail.com>
Date: Sat, 22 Dec 2007 10:54:46 +0100 (CET)
Subject: FROM:MR FRANK WILLIAMS (CPA)


FROM:MR FRANK WILLIAMS (CPA)
ABIDJAN-IVORY COAST

DEAR,

MY NAME IS MR FRANK WILLIAMS STAFF IN BANKING AND OPERATION DEPRTMENT =
OF A COMMERCIAL BANK IN IVORY COAST I HAVE AN URGENT AND VERY CONFIDENT=
IAL BUSINESS PROPOSITION FOR YOU.
ON JANUARY 8 2003, AN OIL CONSULTANT / CONTRACTOR WITH IVORY COAST NATI=
ONAL PETROLEUM COPORATION MADE A NUMBERED TIME (FIXED) DEPOSIT FOR THRE=
E CALENDER YEARS VALUED AT 10,000,000,00(TEN MILLION UNITED STATES DOL=
LARS) IN MY BRANCH UPON MATURITY.

I SENT A ROUTINE NOTIFICATION TO HIS FORWARDING ADDRESS BUT GOT NO REPL=
Y AFTER A MONTH; WE SENT A REMINDER AND FINALLY DISCOVERED THAT THE CUS=
TOMER WHO DEPOSITED THIS FUND DIED IN A PLANE CRASH ALONG WITH HIS ENTI=
RE FAMILY.ON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, I FOUND OUT THAT HE DID NOT LEAVE A=
WILL AND ALL ATTEMPTS TO TRACE HIS NEXT OF KIN WERE FRUITLESS. I THERE=
FORE MADE FURTHER INVESTIGATION AND DISCOVERED THAT HE DID NOT DECLARE =
ANY NEXT OF KIN IN ALL HIS OFFICICAL DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING HIS BANK DEPO=
SIT PAPERWORK.

THIS SUM OF US10, 000,000,00 USD (TEN MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS) IS=
STILL IN THE BANK AND THE INTEREST IS BEING ROLED OVER WITH THE PRINCI=
PAL SUM AT THE END OF EACH YEAR. NO ONE WILL COME FORWARD TO CLAIM IT.
ACCORDING TO THE IVORY COAST LAW, AT THE EXPIRATION OF (THREE) YEARS, T=
HE MONEY WILL REVERT TO THE OWNERSHIP OF THE IVORY COAST GOVEMMENT IF N=
OBODY APPLIES TO CLAIM THE FUNDS, AS AN ABANDONED TREASURE.


CONSEQUENTLY, MY PROPOSAL IS THAT I WILL LIKE YOU AS A FOREIGNER TO STA=
ND IN AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO THE DEAD CUSTOMER, FOR THIS (TEN MILLION UN=
ITED STATES DOLLARS) TO BE RELEASE TO YOU, SO THAT THE FRUITS OF THIS O=
LD MAN=92S LABOUR WILL NOT GET INTO THE HANDS OF SOME CORRUPTED GOVEMME=
NT OFFICIALS.

AS AN ACCOUNTANT AND STAFF OF THIS BANK, WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS SIMPLE, =
AS FAR AS YOU FOLLOW MY INSTRUCTION. MAY I INFORM YOU THAT SECRECY, TRU=
ST, HONEST AND CONFIDENTIALITY SHOULD BE A BASE FOR THE SUCCESS OF THIS=
TRANSACTION, BASE ON THIS, ME AND YOU ARE MUCH EXPECTED TO KEEP THIS B=
ISINESS VERY SECRET AND CONFIDENTIAL.
I AM PROMISING THAT AS SOON AS WE GET THIS FUND TRANSFERRED INTO YOUR A=
CCOUNT, I WILL GIVE YOU 40% OF THE TOTAL SUM AS A COMPENSATION FOR YOUR=
FULL ASSISTANCE, WHILE 60% WILL BE FOR ME AND I WILL BE INTERESTED IN =
INVESTING PART OF MY OWN SHARE IN ANY KIND OF BUSINESS IN YOUR COUNTRY.=


MORE INFORMATION OF THE STEPS TO FOLLOW IN ORDER TO ACTUALISE THIS AIM =
WILL BE DETAIL TO YOU AS SOON AS YOU ARE INTERESTED, THERE IS NO RISK, =
MY POSITION AS A STAFF OF THIS BANK, I GUARANTEE THE SUCCESSFUL EXECUTI=
ON OF THIS BUSINESS.


BEST REGAERDS,
MR FRANK WILLIAMS=20

Un 2007 de Ins=F3lito, Deporte, Cine o Belleza... =A1Feliz Navidad! htt=
p://pan.starmedia.com/especiales/navidad07/portada/index.html

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