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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: Chris Mark <markschg3@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <chmarks.1960@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2008 01:45:45 +0000
Subject: Good-day*Contact me as stated*


Attn;

Compliments of the day to you.I must solicit your confidentiality and assure you that I am contacting you in good faith and this proposal will be of mutual benefit. I am Mr.Chris Mark (Esq.), a legal
practitioner. My late client who died with his entire family in a fatal accident, sparing none of their lives, some years ago. Before his death, I assisted him in the deposit of some funds with a
Security Company for safekeeping.

The funds have remained unclaimed since his death, and such unclaimed funds are appropriated and returned to the treasury as a matter of policy. Considering the lack of success in my bid to locate any of his relatives for over a year now, I hereby solicit your consent to enable me present you as the Next of Kin to my deceased client.

I am contacting you for a strong reason the security company does not deserve to inherit the funds. This reason led to my resolve to claim the funds, which was why I contacted you. With your permission, I will proceed to establish you as the next of kin/Beneficiary to my late
client.

As soon as this is done, you will then give instructions to the Security Company, to transfer the deposited funds into another account you will provide, after which we shall then share the funds upon agreed terms. When I receive your response, I will provide you with further details.

I await your reply,
Chris Mark (Esq)


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