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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: William Howell <williamhowell@post.ro> (may be fake)
Reply-To: williamshowell@post.ro
Date: Thu, 25 Mar 2010 01:11:00 +0700
Subject: Your Draft From William Howell

FROM WILLIAM HOWELL

My Dear Friend,

How are you today? Hope all is well with you and your family? You may not understand why this mail came to you. But if you do not remember i or my colleague,you might have received an email from us in the past regarding a million-dollar business proposal which we never concluded. I am using this opportunity to inform you that this million-dollar business has been concluded with the assistance of another partner from Qatar who financed the transaction to a logical conclusion.

I thank you for your great effort to our unfinished transfer of fund into your account due to one reason or the other best known to you. But I want to inform you that I have successfully transferred the fund out of the bank to my new partner's account in Qatar who assisted me in his great venture but now i am in Qatar for business mission. Due to your effort,sincerity, courage and trustworthiness shown during the course of the transaction. I want to compensate you and show my gratitude to you with the sum of $3,250,000.00 I have left instruction to my secretary to send you a certified international bank draft for you worth of $3,250,000.00 cashable anywhere in the world.

My dear friend I will like you to contact my secretary, Mrs. Glory Peters,on her direct email address at:(glory441pp@hosanna.net) for the collection of your Bank draft, send to her the name you want the Draft to bear, that is your account name in order for her to draw the Draft on your behalf as i have authorized Miss Glory Peters my secretary and my account officer to release the Bank Draft to you whenever you contact her regarding it.

At the moment, I am very busy here in Qatar because of the investment project, which my new partner and i are having at hand. Please i will like you to accept this token with good faith as this is from the bottom of my heart, also comply with Mrs. Peters's directives so that she will send the draft to you without any delay.

NOTE: You are advised not to discuss the matter with any body except my secretary, also do not to accept any fax or telephone calls that does not come from her because she is the only person i left the order on how to deliver the cheque/draft to you, and you should contact her immediately you receive this message for more information on how you can get the draft via email: (glory441pp@hosanna.net). Endeavor to send your full Name and telephone number/your current mailing address, {Home or Office} where you want the draft sent to you so that you will not have any problem clearing the draft.

Thanks, God bless you and your family.
FROM WILLIAM HOWELL




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