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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: =?us-ascii?Q?LONDON2012=20PROMOTIONAL=20DRAW?= <george.korba@seznam.cz>
Reply-To: ddddcopperfield@jmail.co.za
Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2008 02:58:49 +0100 (CET)
Subject: =?us-ascii?Q?Get=20back=20to=20me=20on=20this?=

Dear Friend,
I am Barrister David Copperfield, a personal Attorney to the late Mr. Peter
McKenzie. I got your contact through the help of my sister-in-law that works with the British/American Chambers of Commerce, though I did not disclose to her my humble intention for an honest foreigner like you, having noted the confidence reposed on your person by the sponsor of the recommendation.

My late client Mr. McKenzie was the Chief Executive officer of {British Petroleum} for 15 years and he was retired on the 30th day of September2002. However a month after his retirement, my client and his entire family died on their way to a Conference in a Plane crash on the 30th day of October 2002. Before his death my client had a total sum of US$7,500,000.00 with a Finance House with the hope of transferring the fund to his country after his retirement but he never lived to carry out this plans. For four years now I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives of this man and so have decided to seek other means to transfer this fund. I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased. I agree to pay you 40% of the fund as the account owner, 60% would be for me. I have all necessary legal documents that can be used to back up any claim we may make. So please if you are interested in doing this with me respond to me via my PERSONAL SECURE EMAIL: (ddddcopperfield@jmail.co.za), so w
e can discuss more on this.

I do look forward to your prompt response.

Best regards,
Barrister David Copperfield

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