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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: "CHADWICK LAWRENCE ESQ" <chadwicklawrence@lawyer.com>
Reply-To: info@iklltd.com
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 2010 05:32:41 -0200 (BRST)
Subject: Good Day

Good Day,
This is a personal email directed to you and I request that it be treated as
such. I must solicit your Confidentiality and assure you that I am contacting
you in good faith and this proposal will be of mutual benefit. I am Chadwick
Lawrence, a solicitor at law. I am the personal attorney/sole executor to the
late Mr. Mark hereinafter referred to as my client who worked as an
independent oil magnate in my country, who died in a car crash with his
immediate family in East London on the 5Th of November 2001.
Since the death of my client, I have written several letters to the embassy
with intent to locate any of his extended relatives whom shall be
claimants/beneficiaries of his abandoned personal estate and all such efforts
have been to no avail. I had to inform the finance company about my fruitless
effort in locating my late client close relative or His next of kin.
The board of directors of the company just adopted a resolution and I was
mandated to provide his next of kin for the payment of this money within the
next 15 official working days or forfeit the money as an abandoned funds. The
company had planned to invoke the abandoned property decree of the company to
confiscate the funds after the expiration of the period given me. Also I have
received official letters in the last two days suggesting a likely proceeding
for confiscation of his abandoned personal assets in line with existing laws of
the institution.
I find this possible for the fuller reasons that you are of the same
nationality and you bear a similar last name with my late client making it a
lot easier for you to put up a claim in that capacity. I have all vital
documents that would confer you the legal right to make this claim and would
make them available to you so that the proceeds of this bank account valued at
£9.8million can be paid to you before it gets confiscated or declared
unserviceable to the bank where this huge amount is lodged.
I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased since you
have the same last name giving you the advantage so that the proceeds of this
account can be paid to you and then both of us can share the money, 50% to me
and 40% to you. I know there might be other persons out there with the same
surname as my last client, but after a little check my instinct tells me to
contact you. Can I trust you on this? I shall assemble all the necessary
documents that will be used to back up your claim.
Like I said, I require only a solemn confidentiality on this. Please read the
attached file (PDF) and get in touch with me by my alternative email
info@iklltd.com for better confidentiality and send to me
your telephone and fax numbers to enable us discuss further on this transaction. My
contact number is +44-701-426-2351. If this proposal is acceptable by you, do
not take undue advantage of the trust I have bestowed in you, Thanks for your
understanding.
Regards.
Chadwick Lawrence
Compass House
Lypiatt Road
Cheltenham
Gloucestershire GL50 2QJ
United Kingdom.
Phone: +44-701-426-2351.
N.BWhen calling you dial your country calling code which I think is 011+my number
(+44-701-426-2351). That is (011-44-701-426-2351).

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