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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: Simon Tong <simon_tong000@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: simontong63@yahoo.com
Date: Sat, 3 May 2008 00:28:52 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: ATTENTION PLEASE!


SIMON TONG & PARTNERS
NO. 26A, JALAN DEDAP 20 TAMAN JOHOR JAYA
81100 JOHOR BAHRU.MALAYSIA

Greetings Hans Limburg,

On June 6, 1999, a Foreign Diamond consultant/contractor with the Sierra Leonean National Diamond Corporation, Mr.Charles Limburg,who here in after shall be referred to as my client,died as the result of a heart-related condition in March 12th 2005,made a numbered time (Fixed) Deposit for twelve calendar months, valued at USD$27,000,000.00,(Twenty-Seven Million Dollars).
His heart condition was due to the death of all the members of his family in the
tsunami disaster on the 26th December 2004 in Sumatra Indonesia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake

Upon maturity, I sent a routine notification to his forwarding address but got no reply. Onfurther investigation, I found out that he died without making a WILL, and all attempts to trace his next of kin was fruitless. I therefore made further investigation and discovered that he did not declare any kin or relations in all his official documents, including his Bank Deposit paperwork before me.
I have contacted you to assist in distributing the money left behind by my client before it is confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bank where this deposit valued at $27million dollars is lodged.

This bank has issued me a notice to contact the next of kin,or the account will be confiscated.My proposition to you is to seek your consent to present you as the next-of-kin and beneficiary of my late client, since you have the same last name,so that the proceeds of this account can be paid to you. Then we can share the amount on a mutually agreed-upon percentage.

All legal documents to back up your claim as my client's next of kin will be secured gradually and forwarded to you. All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us see this transaction through.This will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.

If this business proposition offends your moral values,do accept my apology.Please contact me at once to indicate your interest.

Regards,

Barr.Simon Tong.
Senior Advocate/Solicitor.


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