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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: AHMED HABIB <ahmed_habib_565@msn.com>
Reply-To: <ah.habib@jmail.co.za>
Date: Sun, 18 Jan 2009 00:52:17 +0000
Subject: GOOD DAY,



GOOD DAY,For sure this mail would definitely come to you as a surprise, but do take your good time to go through it, I am MR AHMED HABIB, the Senior Foreign Remittance Director of a Bank, during the course of our auditing,I discovered a floating fund in an account opened in the bank in 2000 and since 2003 nobody has operated on this account again. After going through some old files in the records I discovered that the owner of the account died without a [heir] hence the money is floating
and if I do not remit this money out urgently it will be forfeited for nothing.The owner of this account is a foreigner, a miner and anindustrialist.He made millions of dollars before he died victoriously.Since DEC 26 2003 website details as follow:<http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/>no other person knows about this account or any thing concerning it.My investigation proved to me that the account has no other beneficiaryandthat until his death he was the manager director of aluminium &steelindustries (PTY). SA.
We will start the transfer with the total sum in volved [ Twenty FiveMillion USDollars [ 25.000.000.00 USD] only, into your account, as a safe foreigners bank account abroad, but I don't know any foreigner abroad that's why I have contacted you to bear thelegal sole beneficiary of the fund.
I am revealing this to you with believe in God that you will never letme down in this business. Alsosend your private telephone number and fax number including the full details of the account to be used for thedeposit. I need your strong assurance that you will never let me downin this business proposition. With my influence and the position in thebank, as an official whom is working in our favour we can transfer thismoney to any foreigner's reliable account which you can provide withassurance that this money will be intact pending my physical arrival inyour country for sharing.
The bank official will destroy all documents of transaction immediately you receive this fund leaving and they will beno trace to any place and to build confidence you can wrote immediately to discuss with me themodalities,after I will make this remittance in your presented account and fix my resign date, to fly down to your country at least 7 days ahead of the fund transferred and confirm intothe account.
At the conclusion of this business, you will be given 45% of the totalamount, 50% will be for me, while 5% will be for expenses might haveincurred during the process of transferring. Reply to my private mailh.ahmed@jmail.co.za or hh.ahmed@jmail.co.za
l am waiting for your reply. Best Regards,MR AHMED HABIB

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