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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: "Mr. Oscar Stephen" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <oscarsteves@aol.fr>
Date: Mon, 19 Apr 2010 14:47:06 +0100
Subject: GOOD NEWS FOR YOU. REPLY BACK

Dear Friend,

I apologize to you for any inconveniences caused if this mail does not meet your demands, though I do not intend to embarrass you by the contents of this very mail. I am Mr Oscar Stephen. I was the account manager to Late Engr Paul, Who was a citizen of your Country but lived and did his business here with his family. He was the CEO of Shan Properties before his sudden death along with his family. This mail is written to solicit your assistance to present you as next of kin to my Late Client. Before his sudden death, he made a fixed Deposit valued at USD7.5,million (Seven Million five hundred thousand United States Dollars Only) with my bank.

Unfortunately he lost his life aboard Egypt Air Flight 990, which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on October31, 1999. He left no clear beneficiary as Next of Kin. The Bank here has searched for the relative’s abroad for more than four years without any success and after 10 years, no claims have been made by any of the deceased next of kin, and the money will be sent to unclaimed accounts and embezzled by the corrupt bank or government officials. It is during this bank drop that the bank did contact me as the late depositor's financial adviser to contact and present to them my late Client's next of kin so that the deposit can be paid to him or her.

This is why I have contacted you. Anybody I present to the bank as the next of kin will be accepted .Upon your acceptance, I shall give you other details for the successful claim of the fund. I have secured from the probate registry, an order of Mandamus to locate any of the deceased beneficiaries, and more so I am assuring you that this business is 100% risk free. If this proposal is acceptable by you, please endeavour to reply me with this E-mail (oscarsteves@aol.fr) immediately, if not please disregard this information.

Thank you very much for your anticipated acceptance while I expect your prompt response.

Yours faithfully,
Mr. Oscar Stephen

Anti-fraud resources: