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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 Williams" <mailtosimon1@gazeta.pl>
Reply-To: simmonnwill@hotmail.com
Date: Mon, 7 Jul 2008 00:22:05 -0700
Subject: My Dear


>From The Desk of Simon Williams
Department: Senior Manager Accounts/Audit
Natwest Bank London

Good day, I apologize for sending you this sensitive information via e-mail
Instead of a Certified/Post-mail.

This is due to the urgency and importance of the information. I humbly crave
your indulgence to read this e-mail with all seriousness of purpose devoid
of any doubt in your mind because this project is based on trust,
confidentiality and sincerity of purpose in order to have an acceptable
meeting of the minds. Although, we have never met before, but i have every
reason to believe that you are a highly respected personality, considering
the fact that i got your e- mail address through internet my online network,
while searching for a reliable and reputable person to handle this
transaction.


I am a senior manager accounts/audit in Nat west Bank London. I am writing
following an opportunity in my office that will be of immense benefit to
both of us. In my department we discovered an abandoned sum of £3.5 million
pounds sterling (Three million five hundred Thousand Pounds Only) in an
account that belongs to one of our foreign customers late Mr. Morris
Thompson an American who unfortunately lost his life in the plane crash of
Alaska Airlines Flight 261 which crashed on January 31 2000, including his
wife and only daughter.

You shall read more about the crash on visiting this site which i got during
my investigation;
http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska.airlines.list/

Since we got information about his death, we have been expecting his next of
kin or relatives to come over and claim his money, because we cannot release
it unless somebody applies for it as next of kin or relation to the deceased
as indicated in our banking guidelines.

Unfortunately i discovered that his supposed next of kin being his only
daughter died along with him in the plane crash leaving nobody with the
knowledge of these funds behind for claim. It is therefore upon this
discovery that i and two other officials in this department now decided to
make business with you and release the money to you as the next of kin or
beneficiary of the funds for safety keeping and subsequent disbursement
since nobody is coming for it and we don't want this money to go back into
government treasury as unclaimed bill.

The banking law and guidelines here stipulates that any unclaimed money
after seven years will be transferred into banking treasury account as
unclaimed funds.

We agreed that 35% of this money would be for you as foreign partner, while
the balance will be for my colleagues and I.
I will visit your country for the disbursement according to the percentages
indicated above once this money gets into your account.
Please be honest with me.

To commence this transaction, we require you to immediately indicate your
interest by a return e-mail and enclose the Following information:

1. Full name
2: Your private telephone and Fax numbers.
3. Occupations and Nationality.

Note this transaction is confidential and risk free. As soon as you receive
this mail contact me through my private E-mail

Please note that all the necessary arrangement for the smooth release of
these funds to you has been finalized. We will discuss much in details when
i do receive your response.

Best regards

Simon Williams

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