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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: Lawyers Counsel <lawyerscounsel10@yahoo.co.nz>
Reply-To: lawyerscounsel4@yahoo.co.nz
Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2008 12:35:20 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Urgent Response Needed !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Albert en Ans Gerritsen



ANDREW WALTER & ASSOCIATES.
CORPORATE ATTORNEYS.
178 Rue Dela Justice Lome Togo
 
Good day ,Albert en Ans Gerritsen

This is a personal email directed to you and I request that it be treated as such. I am Andrew Walter ,a solicitor at law.
 
I am the personal attorney/sole executor to the late Mr R. Gerritsen .hereinafter referred to as 'my client' who worked as an independent oil magnate in my country and who died in a car crash with his immediate family on the 4th of oct,004. Since the death of my client in oct,2004, I have written several letters to the embassy with an intent to locate any of his extended relatives whom shall be claimants/beneficiaries of his abandoned personal estate and all such efforts have been to no avail.
 
Moreso,I have received official letters in the last few weeks suggesting a likely proceeding for confiscation of his abandoned personal assets in line with existing laws by the bank in which my client deposited the sum of 28.5 million U.S.D.On this note i decided to search for a credible person and finding that you bear a similar last name, I was urged to contact you, that I may,with your consent, present you to the "trustee" bank as my late client's surviving family member so as to enable you put up a claim to the bank in that capacity as a next of kin of my client.
 
I find this possible for the fuller reasons that you bear a similar last name with my client making it a lot easier for you to put up a claim in that capacity.I propose that 35% of the net sum will accrue to you at the conclusion of this deal in so far as I do not incure further expenses.
 
Therefore, to facilitate the immediate transfer of this fund, you need, first to contact me via signifying your interest and as soon as I obtain your confidence,I will immediately appraise you with the complete details as well as fax you the documents,with which you are to proceed and i shall direct on how to put up an application to the bank.
 
However, you will have to accent to an express agreement which I will forward to you in order to bind us in this transaction.
 
Upon the reciept of your reply,I will send you  the next step to take.I will not fail to bring to your notice that this proposal is hitch-free and that you should not entertain any fears as the required arrangements have been made for the completion of this transfer. Like I said, I require only a solemn confidentiality on this mail.
 
Best regards,
 
Andrew Walter

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