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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: "MR VAN CURTIS"<nlinfo@gmail.com>
Reply-To: <van_curtis@aol.nl>
Date: Sat, 11 Jul 2009 20:50:31 +0200
Subject: HELLO




Hello,

My name is Van Curtis I work as an international auditor for the delta
lloyd Bank (ALM) Asset Liability Managerial department monitoring five
branches including Singapore, Belgium and Netherlands.


I have taken pains to find your contact through personal endeavors which I
may explain to you upon your response.

A possible family member of yours (name withheld for security reason) died
nine months ago leaving behind an investment total of EU5.95M (Five
Million Nine hundred and Fifty Thousand Euros) with my bank.With interest
at today's value, the said investment is now worth EU9M (Nine Million
Euros)

His lawyer has just notified my department of the sudden death of the said
investor in a car crash and the lawyer has also asked us to check through
our records to see who his client may have indicated as next of kin to the
investment, since the fiance (martha frances) who was indicated in his
WILL as beneficiary tomost of his properties also died in the same car
crash.


Findings and verification as auditor in the bank has led me to realize
that the investor has also named his fiance as next of kin to the EU9M
investment. We have as yet not informed anyone of this because of the

implications, the investor's lawyer will obviously handover his properties
including the investment to the government which will in turn be shared
amongst undeserving government officials. However, because of the
relevance of the sameness of your surname and you being a possible
relative to the late investor,

we are making you this proposal since my boss and I can provide you with
much needed information to claim the investment.

You are guaranteed that this will be executed under a legitimate
arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law, as the funds
did not originate from terrorism or drugs,but through inheritance.

Please kindly reply through my private email (van_curtis@aol.nl) to
confirm your full name, telephone and fax number to enable us discuss and
facilitate all due process regarding this transaction.

Yours truly,
Van Curtis.

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