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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: "Fund Release Department" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <izu_michael1@micro.lt>
Date: Sun, 6 Dec 2009 14:17:56 +0100
Subject: Is this true or not?

Hello,

Your credit payment file have been added and opened.

We received an email that you are dead and you asked one Mr. William Thomason to come and claim your funds related to your Compensation funds $1.3 Million United State Dollars that has been with us since two weeks now and he has also agreed to pay for the fund release charges of US$295.

So I am writing you to know if you are DEAD OR ALIVE, if you do not reply back before 48hrs we will have no other alternative than to believe that you are dead according to Mr. Williams Thomason. And if you are still alive you can get back to me as fast as you can or you can call me on my phone take note that every thing has been paid for it is just for the fund release fee that this Mr. Williams Thomason has agreed to pay for, if you refuse to get back to us am afraid we shall give the fund transfer to him and collect the money from him that means that he is right that you are dead and he is to claim the funds on your behalf.

Please if you are still alive and ready to claim your winning funds and also Let us know if you are willing to pay the needed Charges of US$295. Send down an attached to this Message with your I.D card Copy in order for us to know that you are alive and kicking.

Please you are advice to stop all further Contact from any body you have been dealing with regarding any Transaction. Please take note that you have been given just 48hrs to get back to us so that we can know if you are alive, and fill the Information Below.

Name:
Phone Number:
Fax:
House Address:
Age:

We await your swift response in regard to this news we received from Mr. Williams Thomason. And if you are alive, we shall take full legal actions to get him down and be brought to book, and we shall get back to you with details on how to make the payment of US$295 for the fund release charge.

Truly Yours.
Mr. Izu Michael
Tel: +234 802 739 4935
izu_michael1@micro.lt
Fund Release Department
COMPENSATION AWARD AUTHORITY

Anti-fraud resources: