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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: William Evans Cole <wcole@uk2.net>
Reply-To: wcole_london@hotmail.co.uk
Date: Mon, 22 Mar 2010 22:40:10 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Friend, Urgent Enquiry Please!


Friend, Urgent Enquiry Please!
 
Attn.: Please,

I am William Cole, an attorney in law here in London.
I did contact you in the past without hearing from you,as I included your name in the file of a late client who made some deposit of cash here in a bank, and never heard from you, so I was suprise to notice that someone is contacting the bank in your name in this regard, with a bank account in the USA. Please, did you delegate anyone to contact the bank in your favour for this money, and why did you choose not to reply my earlier mail? I have already alerted the USA authorities and the bank about this, and have told them that, neither you nor myself did delegate anyone with that bank account for the transfer of the said money.
Source Of The Money:
A late leader syphoned alot of money abroad when he was alive and in power with fictiteous name( Sachsa Jean), both here and in Switzerland. But unfortuantely the one in Swiss bank has been unservicable for a longer time, and has now been confiscated, as ruled by Claims Resolution Tribunal in Switzerland. I do not wish the one here in London to be confiscated too.
This money was deposited in the name of "Sachsa Jean" , you can find out about what I am telling you in this web site;
http://www.crt-ii.org/2001_list/publication_list1_S.phtm
Claims Resolution Tribunal
P.O. Box 9564, 8036 Zurich   Switzerland.
I acted as a legal adviser to this late leader, and now that this money has been here and the bank has made alot of profit with it, and they alerted me when this intruder contacted them in your name.
We are going to negotiate on terms and conditions of this claim, so I will be pleased if you can immediately call and discuss with me on my mobile number +44-701-118-3049.
You can equally reply me through email, and make sure you give this mail an urgent attention it deserves, and please, do not fail to do away with this mail if you are not interested in this, and do let me know, so that I will know what to tell the bank.
Do not take this as one of those mails you get on the net, with empty promises and fraudulent intents.
Your Prompt response will be highly appreciated.
 

Yours Faithfully,
William Cole
+44-701-118-3049

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