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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: "Dr.Morgan Berry" <morganberry@mc4real.com>
Reply-To: morganberry01@cantv.net
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:04:31 -0500
Subject: GREETINGS DEAR FRIEND.

GREETINGS DEAR FRIEND.

DEAR FRIEND

FIRST I MUST SOLICIT YOUR CONFIDENCE IN THIS TRANSACTION, THIS IS BY
VIRTUE OF ITS NATURE AS BEING UTTERLY CONFIDENTIAL AND TOP SECRET.
THOUGH I KNOW THAT A TRANSACTION OF THIS MAGNITUDE WILL MAKE ANY ONE
APPREHENSIVE AND WORRIED, BUT I AM ASSURING YOU THAT ALL WILL BE WELL
AT THE END OF THE DAY.WE HAVE DECIDED TO CONTACT YOU DUE TO THE
URGENCY OF THIS TRANSACTION, AS WE HAVE BEEN RELIABLY INFORMED OF YOUR
DISCREETNESS AND ABILITY IN TRANSACTION OF THIS NATURE.


LET ME START BY INTRODUCING MYSELF PROPERLY TO YOU. I AM DR.MORGAN
BERRY THE MANAGER WITH THE ECOBANK , COTONOU.I CAME TO KNOW YOU IN MY
PRIVATE SEARCH FOR A RELIABLE AND REPUTABLE PERSON TO HANDLE THIS
CONFIDENTIAL TRANSACTION, WHICH INVOLVES THE TRANSFER OF HUGE SUM OF
MONEY TO A FOREIGN ACCOUNT REQUIRING MAXIMUM CONFIDENCE. THE
PROPOSITION:

A FOREIGNER FROM LEBANON, LATE ENGR.WALID MASRI (SNR.) AN BUESSINE
MERCHANT WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF BENIN, UNTIL HIS DEATH YEARS
AGO IN KENYA AIR BUS (A310-! 301) FLIGHT KQ431, BANKED WITH US AT BANK
IN BENIN COTONOU ECOBANK AND HAD A CLOSING BALANCE AS AT THE END OF
SEPTEMBER, 2004 WORTH US$19.3,000,000.00 (NINETEEN MILLION THREE
HUNDRED UNITED STATE DOLLARS), THE BANK NOW EXPECTS A NEXT OF KIN AS
BENEFICIARY.

VALUABLE EFFORTS ARE BEING MADE BY THE BANK OF AFRICAN TO GET IN TOUCH
WITH ANY OF THE MASRI'S FAMILY OR RELATIVES BUT TO NO SUCCESS.IT IS
BECAUSE OF THE PERCEIVED POSSIBILITY OF NOT BEING ABLE TO LOCATE ANY
OF LATE ENGR. MASRI (SNR.)' S NEXT KIN (HE HAD NO WIFE OR CHILDREN
THAT IS KNOWN TO US HERE).THE MANAGEMENT UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF OUR
CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, THAT ARRANGE HAS BEEN
MADE FOR THE FUND TO BE DECLARED "UNCLAIMED" AND SUBSEQUENTLY BE
DONATED TO THE TRUST FUND FOR ARMS AND AMMUNITION TO FURTHER ENHANCE
THE COURSE OF WAR IN AFRICA AND THE WORLD IN GENERAL.

IN ORDER TO AVERT THIS NEGATIVE DEVELOPMENT SOME OF MY TRUSTED
COLLEAGUES AND I NOW SEEK YOUR PERMISSION TO HAVE YOU STAND AS NEXT OF
KIN TO! LATE ENGR.WALID MASRI (SNR.) SO THAT THE FUND US$19.3 MILLION
WILL BE RELEASED AND PAID INTO YOUR ACCOUNT AS THE BENEFICIARY'S NEXT
OF KIN. ALL DOCUMENTS AND PROVES TO ENABLE YOU GET HIS FUND WILL BE
CAREFULLY WORKED OUT. WE HAVE SECURE FROM THE PROBATE AN ORDER OF
MADAMUS TO LOCATE ANY OF DECEASED BENEFICIARIES, AND MORE SO WE ARE
ASSURING YOU THAT THIS BUSINESS IS 100% RISK FREE INVOLVEMENT.

YOUR SHARE STAYS WHILE THE REST BE FOR MYSELF AND MY COLLEAGUES FOR
INVESTMENT PURPOSE. ACCORDING TO AGREEMENT WITHIN BOTH PARTIES. AS
SOON AS WE RECEIVE AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RECEIPT OF THIS MESSAGE IN
ACCEPTANCE OF OUR MUTUAL BUSINESS PROPOSAL, WE WOULD FURNISH YOU WITH
THE NECESSARY MODALITIES AND DISBURSEMENT RATIO TO SUITE BOTH PARTIES
WITH OUT ANY CONFLICT. WHILE REPLYING FURNISH ME WITH YOUR PRIVATE FAX
AND PHONE NUMBERS FOR EASY COMMUNICATION,BANK NAME,COMPANIES NAME AND
ADDRESS.

THE SHARING OF THE FUND ARE THUS: 40% FOR YOU THE ACCOUNT OWNER,50%
FOR I AND MY ! TRUSTED COLLEAGUES AND THE REMAINNING 10% FOR EXPENSES
FOR BOTH PARTIES. IF THIS PROPOSAL IS ACCEPTABLE BY YOU, DO NOT MAKE
UNDUE ADVANTAGE OF THE TRUST WE HAVE BESTOWED IN YOU.REPLY US THROUGH
MY PRIVATE EMAIL ADDRESS BELOW...
PERSONAL PRIVATE EMAIL. morganberry01@cantv.net

BEST REGARDS,

DR:MORGAN BERRY (MANAGER).

PRIVATE TELEPHONE +229 96 71 19 27

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