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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: "barr chris michael" <barrchrismichaels@fastwebmail.it>
Reply-To: barrchrismichael@hotmail.fr
Date: Sat, 5 Jul 2008 13:17:07 +0200
Subject: Barr Chris Michael(Legal Practitioners)


Barr Chris Michael(Legal Practitioners)
No 9 jericho Road,
West Africa.
Republic of Benin.

Hello My Dear Friend,

Please permit me to introduce myself to you. I am Barr Chris Michael a Legal
Practitioner in Africa Benin republic, I have decided to contact you so that
we can carry out this mutually beneficial business transaction. My late
Client Mr. Dennis Klein.befor his death he deposited a total sum of
US$12.000,000.00 three years ago with Continental Bank Republic Of Benin. He
was a Director with Shell Petroleum Development Company in European. Since I
am the personal attorney of Mr. Dennis Klein. he gave me custody of the
deposit documents, and as such entrusted me with the Legal Rights to
transfer and execute this deposit to any Next of Kin after his demise. I
have since tried to locate any Next of Kin to Mr. Dennis Klein without
success, hence I decided to contact you so that you can rightfully stand as
the next of kin to inherit the deposited sum by virtue of the fact that you
will be trust worthy and can provide an offshore account outside the Country
to receive the deposit.

Please I need a reliable person to help me with necessary arrangements to
transfer the deposited. By virtue of my position as an Attorney, I will
arrange the documents in your name so that you can rightly apply as a Next
of Kin to Late Mr. Dennis Klein in a capacity of a Family Member. You will
be entitled to 40% of the total sum. should you be willing to assist me in
this business transaction and I will get the remaining 40% and 20% will be
used to cover for any expenses that must have been insured in the process of
defraying Late Mr. Dennis Klein deposite in the bank. I will prepare a
formal agreement to guide us in this transaction for accountability purpose.

Please contact me as soon as possible so that we can start processing the
documents. I am looking forward to hear from you.

NOTE: you can send me your ID via fax and I will also send you mine as soon
as I receive yours.

God bless you an your family.
Yours truly,
Barr.chris michael

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