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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "Philip Essex"<philip8@yahoo.com.hk>
Reply-To: <essexphilip36@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Sat, 3 Oct 2009 04:05:04 +0100
Subject: RE:

Dear Partner,

I am Philip Essex, Principal Assurance manager for the China Trust Commercial Bank in China. I am getting in touch with you regarding sum funds of a client with an investment placed under our banks management 7 years ago.

I would respectfully request that you keep the contents of this mail confidential and respect the integrity of the information you come by as a result of this mail. I contact you independently and no one is informed of this communication.

In 2003, the subject matter; first name (BERNARD, last name MADOFF) came to our bank to engage in business discussions with our private banking division. He informed us that he had a financial portfolio of 15.1 million United States dollars, which he wished to have us invest on his behalf.

Based on my advice, we spun the money around various opportunities and made attractive margins for our first months of operation, the accrued profit and interest stood at this point at over 20 million United States Dollars. In mid 2005, he instructed that the principal sum (15.1M) be liquidated because he needed to make an urgent investment requiring cash payments in Hong Kong. We got in touch with a specialist bank in Hong Kong the Dah Sing Bank (DSB) who agreed to receive this money for a fee and make cash available to (Mr. MADOFF). However Dah Sing Bank got in touch with us last year that this money has not been claimed. On further enquiries we found out that (Mr. MADOFF) was involved in a big fraudulent scam that rocked the United States, which caused him his career and is now in jail. Thus the reason why I am writing you.

What I propose is that since I have exclusive access to this file, you will be made the beneficiary of these funds. I will initiate the transfer of these funds from my bank to a more reliable bank anywhere in Europe the bank will contact you informing you that money has been transferred to you. On verification, which will be the details I make available to the bank, I will then instruct the said bank to make payments to you. You do not have to be known. I know this might be a bit heavy for you but please trust me on this. For all your troubles I propose that we split the money in half. In the banking circle this happens every time. The other option is that I can make the funds available as well for you to claim directly by travelling down to sign some papers the you can move the money to an offshore account if you so choose.

Nobody is getting hurt; this is a lifetime opportunity for us. I hold the key to these funds, and as a Chinese National we see so much cash and funds being re-assigned daily. I would want us to keep communication for now strictly by the above email and also by telephone and fax numbers which I will send to you in my next communication.

Please, again, note I am a family man; I have a wife and children. I send you this mail not without a measure of fear as to the consequences, but I know within me that nothing ventured is nothing gained and that success and riches never come easy or on a platter of gold. This is the one truth I have learned from my private banking clients. Do not betray my confidence. If we can be of one accord, we should act swiftly on this. Please pardon my writing mistakes. Please get back to me immediately via the email above.

I await your response.

Philip Essex

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