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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: "martskarlsson Gazeta.pl" <martskarlsson@gazeta.pl>
Date: Mon, 26 May 2008 18:20:33 +0000
Subject: urgent


*

From the Desk of:
*

Mr. Marts Karlsson
Fraser Heir Hunters,
European Heir Commission Office,
St. Andrews Centre
London, E8 2NT
Email: *martskarlsson@aol.co.uk
*

Date: 26th May, 2008
*

Re: Foreign Assistance Needed*

I need your services in a confidential transaction regarding Funds transfer
and Management out of a family's Deposit-on-Transfer (DoT) Bank Account in
London. This requires a private and confidential arrangement. I work with
the above Agency, and have some good contacts with Bank Officers with our
Bankers in London. Our organization specializes in the Investigations,
tracing and processing unidentified inheritance claims or unclaimed estates
and funds of several deceased persons who did not specify their next-of-kins
in their "Will" before they died in the United Kingdom or countries of their
visit or resident.

Usually, when someone dies without leaving a will and there's no known
relative to inherit such estate, Her Majesty's Treasury receives the money
on behalf of the United Kingdom. Unless, our Organization or the probate
registry detectives can find previously unknown family members, within or
outside the United Kingdom in such a limited timeframe, otherwise this fund
goes as "unclaimed deposit" to the Bank of England or to United Nations
Charity Organizations as may be directed by Her Majesty's Office.

In view of this, I take the liberty to inform you about Mrs.Jane Gordon
Chesworth left £6,850,000. I have personnally investigated these unexpected
inheritance for the past 6 months when they were gazetted by the BoE,
assigned to me by the Management of our organziation, I have carried a
thorough checks without any single trace. Also details of other unclaimed
estates worth £12,965,000 in favour of Engr. Christian Eich, 57, an engineer
who ran carmaker BMW's museum in Germany and the United States, his wife and
two children and his wife's parents were also among the victims and they all
died in a plane crash some years ago, leaving behind the above amount in one
of the Spainish private financial houses without a "Will" with any family
tree member.

Therefore, if you will agree to work with me, you will receive these funds
under legal claims and status into your local Bank Account in your country.
All legal documents will be carefully worked out to ensure a risky free
transfer in your favour as the Next-of-Kin to the any of the above person
who is dead without a "will". A Financial Analyst with the Fraser Inc., (UK)
Office, I will work out all the probate papers to transfer the above fund
into your bank account. I am willing to pay a generous management fee as
well as appreciation as soon as this transaction is completed on percentage
basis to you. I have all the details. The funds in question are quite large.
Kindly furnish me with your personal information which must include your
direct cell phone and fax number, your address and company name, then lets
work out the modalities.

Thanks as I expect a positive resonse from you very soon.

Please reply to: *martskarlsson@aol.co.uk
**

Mr Marts Karlsson
Funds Analyst
Fraser Heir Hunters* (UK) Office

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