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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: Muhamad Husin <muhamadhusin@gmail.com >
Reply-To: muha.madhusin@live.com
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 2009 01:55:21 -0400
Subject: For Your Kind Attention

>From the Desk of Mohd Asri Chan & Ng Jalan kamaruddin isa, Ipoh, Malaysia. Dear Sir/ Madam, My name is Barrister Muhamad Husin, a legal practitioner of the above law chambers. A deceased client of mine Mr. Ebel Anthony who here in after shall be referred to as my client, died as the result of a heart-related condition in 2004 after losing his wife and his only child in ghastly auto crash. I am contacting you because I felt that you could help me in the distribution of funding that were left in my deceased client's bank account. This is possible because he died unattested and there is no heir to make the claim. This money which is valued $9.7 million US Dollars at the time of the deposit is closed to be declared un-serviceable by the finance house as there were no indicated next of kin or beneficiary of the fund in the bank account. The bank had issued to me a notification to contact the next of kin of my deceased client for either to re-activate the bank account or to make claim of beneficiary, of the fund in the bank account, with a month surcharge of 6% to be deducted as an escrow safe keeping fee of the bank account, so as to avoid the indefinite closure of the bank account. My proposition to you is to seek your consent, and to present your kind self as the next-of-kin and beneficiary of my deceased client. This means that the proceeds of his bank account would be paid to you as his next of kin or the legitimate beneficiary. When the proceeds in his bank account is granted and transferred into your nominated account, we would share the proceeds on a mutually agreed-upon percentage of 60% to me and 40% to your kind self. All the legal documents to back up your claim as my client's next-of-kin would be provided by me. The most important thing I would need is your honest cooperation to in this proposition. This would be done under a legitimate arrangement that would protect you from any breach of the law. Off course your reputation and mine is important to me and will be protected as Ion will not involve myself in anything that will damage my profession. If this business proposition offends your moral and ethic values, with due respect please do accept my sincere apology. Respectfully, Barrister Muhamad Husin.

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