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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: Eco bank pl c <c_olemichell@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: michell-cole1@jmail.co.za
Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2008 07:49:58 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: URGENT MAIL FOR YOU


I have a new email address!You can now email me at: c_olemichell@yahoo.com



- ATTN: Sir My name is Michell Cole, the manager, credit and foreign bills of Eco Bank Plc. I am writing in respect of a foreign customer of my bank with account number 14-255-2004/tub/t who perished in a plane crash [Korean Air Flight 801] with the whole passengers aboard on August 6, 2001. Since the demise of this our customer, I personally has watched with keen interest to see the next of kin but all has proved abortive as no one has come to claim his funds of usd.20.5 m, [twenty million five hundred thousand united states dollars] which has been with my branch for a very long time. On this note,I decided to seek for whom his name shall be used as the next of kin as no one has come up to be the next of kin. And the banking ethics here does not allow such money to stay more than seven years, because money will be recalled to the bank treasury as unclaimed after this period. I will give you 40% of the total sum for your assistance and for providing an account that will facilitate the transfer of this fund while 50%percent of my share will be invested in your country and the remaining 10%percent is to settle and offset any incurred expenses made by both of us(Even up to telephone bills etc) on the course of transferring this fund into your account. Upon the receipt of your response, I will send you by e-mail the application letter and the next step to take. I will not fail to bring to your notice that this business is hitch free and that you should not entertain any fear as all modalities for fund transfer can be finalized within five banking days, after you apply to the bank as a relation to the deceased. When you receive this letter. Kindly send me an e-mail signifying your decision including your private Tel/Fax numbers for quick communication. Respectfully submitted, MR Michell Cole


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