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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: "Steven Morgan"<morgansteven76@ymail.com>
Reply-To: <emailsteven2438@aim.com>
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 2009 01:15:12 +0200
Subject: I AWAIT YOUR REPLY

Good day to you,


My name is Steven Morgan and I work with a finance house here in the Netherlands. I found your address through my countries international Web directory.

During our last meeting and examination of the bank accounts here in the Netherlands, my department found a dormant account with an enormous sum of US$ 6,500,000.00 (Six million five hundred thousand US dollar) which was deposited by late Mr. Williams from England.

Before his death he transferred the sum of US$6,500,000.00 (Six million five hundred thousand USdollar) to a bank here in Netherlands. From our investigation he had no beneficiary or next of kin to claim these funds. Because of our financial house regulations only one foreigner can stand as a relative or next of kin.

The request of a foreigner as a next of kin is base on the fact that the depositor was a foreigner and some body in the Netherlands can not stand as the next of kin.

On behalf of my colleagues, I need your permission as either a relative or next of kin of our deceased customer, so that the funds can be released and transferred to your account.

We need a foreign account, which could not be noticeable at the time of the transfer. I still work at the financial house and that’s the actual reason that I need a second party or person, to stand and work with me and apply to the bank here in the Netherlands as the next of kin.

At the end of this transaction, I want you to put aside 60% for me and my colleagues and the rest 40% for yourself for standing as the next of kin and also providing a reliable account.

I have in my possession all the necessary documents to have this transaction carried out successfully.

Further information will be provided upon the receipt of your prompt response.

Because of the privacy kindly reply with the following data below:

Complete name,

Address,

Occupation

Telephone

Fax number.

Thanks.

Best regards,

Steve Morgan

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