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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: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: <drjohnson_mich05@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 08:09:15 +0000
Subject: FROM DR JOHNSON



From:Dr.Johnson MichaelTel:+447045757003I am Dr.Johnson Michael From Harlsden, North West London , here in England. Iwork for Natwest Bank Corporation London. I am writing you from my office that will be of an imense benefit to both of us. In my department,being the assistant manager (Greater London Regional Office), I discovered an abandoned sum of $12.5 million USA Dollars (Twelve million five hundred thousand Usa Dollars) in an account that belongs to one of our foreign customers Late Mr.Thompson Morrison American citizen 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. The choice of contacting you is aroused from the geograpgical nature of where you live, particularly due to the sensivity of the transaction.and the confidentiality herein. Now our bank has been waiting for any of the relatives to come-up for the claim but nobody has done that.I personally has been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for 2 years now, I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin /Will Beneficiary to the deceased so that the proceeds of this account valued at 12.5 Million Dollars can be paid to you. This will be disbursed or shared in these percentages,60% to me and 40% to you. I have secured all necessary legal documents that can be used to back up this claim we are making. All i need is to fill in your names to the ducumentsand legalise it in the court here to prove you as the legitimate beneficiary.All I require now is your honest Co-operation,Confidentiality and Trust to enable us see this transaction through. I guarantee you that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement thatwill protect you from any breach of the law. Please,provide me the following: as we have 5 days to run it through. this is very very URGENT PLEASE.1. Full Name2. Your Telephone Number3. Your Contact Address.Having gone through a methodical search, I decided to contact you hoping thatyou will find this proposal interesting. Please on your confirmation of this message and indicating your interest will furnish you with more information. Endeavor to let me know your decision rather than keep me waiting.Reply on this email:drjohnson_mich05@hotmail.com Regards,Dr.Johnson MichaelTel:+447045757003

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