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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: "Mrs. Sara Cheng Li " <pchan10@ymail.com>
Reply-To: chenglisara@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2010 06:17:40 -0500
Subject: Dear Friend.



From
Mrs. Sara Cheng Li
chenglisara@yahoo.com.hk
Dear Sir/Madam.
I am Sara Cheng Li, Business Relations Manager for the Nanyang Commercial Bank
in China. I am contacting you with regards to the estate of Mr. Egemann, a
deceased client of ours who placed an investment in our banks 5 years ago.

I am contacting you independently and no one is informed of this
communication. In 2003, Egemann came to our bank and had series of talk with
the Investment Banking Division. He informed us that he had a financial
portfolio of $12.65 million United States Dollars, which he wished to have us
invest on his behalf.

Based on my advice, we invested the money, and made attractive margins for our
first months of operation, the profit and interest stood at this point at over
$14 Million United States Dollars. In mid 2006, he instructed that the
principal sum ($12.65Million) 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 China the Industrial and Commercial
Bank of China (ICBC) who agreed to receive this money for a fee and make cash
available to Mr. Egemann through their Hong Kong Branch. However China the
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) got in touch with us last year
that this money has not been claimed. Upon further enquiries we found out that
Mr. Egemann was involved in an accident in Mainland China, which means he died
intestate. He has no next of kin and the reason I am writing you is because he
has a Switzerland/German trace or heritage, but he was residence in the United
Kingdom.

What I propose is that since I have exclusive access to his file, you will be
made the beneficiary of these funds. My bank will contact you informing you
that money has been willed to you. On verification, which will be the details
I make available to my bank, my bank will instruct China the Industrial and
Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) to make payments to you.

You do not have to have known him. 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 the money will revert back to the state.
I would want us to keep communication strictly by email, due to my not being
able to speak English, I use translation dictionary to translate my written.
Please, again, note I am a family woman; I have a husband 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 learnt
from my private banking clients. Do not betray my confidence. If we can be of
one accord, we should act swiftly on this. Pardon my writing mistakes. Please
get back to me immediately via my personal email above.

I await your response.
Yours Sincerely
Mrs. Sara Cheng Li.


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