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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: =?utf-8?q?victor=20onu?= <victoronu000@yahoo.in>
Reply-To: drdrvictor@sify.com
Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2009 21:58:10 +0530 (IST)
Subject: BUSINESS PROPOSAL////IMMEDIATE REPLY NEEDED


I have a new email address!You can now email me at: victoronu000@yahoo.in



- Good day, Urgent Business Proposal.I am the Director of Bill and Exchange at the foreign remittance Department of Fidelity Bank Nig Plc). I am writing to seek your cooperation over this business deal. In my Department, I discovered an abandoned sum of (US $40 Million US Dollars). In an account that belongs to one of our foreign customers who died along with his entire family in a plane crash that took place in Kenya, The account belongs to the Late DR.GEORGE BRUMLEY JNR, a citizen of Atlanta, United States of America but nationalized in Nigeria and contractor with Anglo Gold. Since we got information about his death, we have been expecting his next of kin or business associate to come and claim his money because it cannot be released unless somebody applies for it as next of kin or business associate to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines but unfortunately, all his supposed next of kin or relation died along with him at the plane crash leaving nobody behind for the claim. You can read more about the crash on visiting this site; http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/07/20/kenya.crash/index.html it is therefore upon this discovery that I now decided to make this business proposal to you and release the money to your account as the next of kin or business associate. The Banking law and guideline here stipulates that if such money remains dormant after five years; the money will be transferred into the Bank treasury as unclaimed fund. The request for your assistance and maximum co-operation as a foreign citizen is highly needed to release this fund. I will like us to share this money mutually on two equal halves between me and you. Please note that I don’t have any asses to withdraw any cent from this money due to the money was insured by the owner DR. GEORGE BRUMLEY JNR. I will indulge you at this point to understand that this is privileged information and must be strictly confidential. Please reply to this mail.Best Regards,Dr Victor Onu


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