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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: "MR TONG LI" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mr.tongli@9.cn>
Date: Sat, 22 May 2010 18:22:25 -0700
Subject: Immediate Response

FROM THE DESK OF:
Mr. TONG LI,
TAISHIN INTERNATIONAL BANK
TAIPEI,TAIWAN

Dear Friend,

How are you today and business in your country? I am Tong Li, Bank Manager
of Taishin International Bank,Taiwan.

I would respectfully request that you keep the contents of this mail
confidential and respect the integrity of the information you come by as a
result of this mail. I contacted you independently of our investigation and
no one is informed of this communication. I would like to intimate you
with certain facts that I believe would be of interest to you. I know you
would be wondering why I am writing you with a request such as this but I
only urge you to read on.

A British Oil consultant/contractor with the Chinese Solid Minerals
Corporation, Mr. Viktor Chase made a numbered time (Fixed) Deposit for
twelve calendar months, the Chinese Solid Minerals Corporation that
Mr. Viktor Chase died from an airplane crash.The bank immediately launched
an investigation into possible surviving next of kin to alert about the
situation and also to come forward to claim his estate. If you are
familiar with private banking ?ffairs, those who patronize our services
usually prefer anonymity, but also some levels of detachment from
conventional processes. In his bio-data form, he listed no next of kin.
In the field of private banking, opening an account with us means no one
will know of its existence,accounts are rarely held under a name;
depositors use numbers and codes to make the accounts anonymous. This
bank also gives the choice to depositors of having their mail sent to them
or held at the bank itself,ensuring that there are no traces of the
account and as I said, rarely do they nominate next of kin.

Private banking clients apart from not nominating next of kin also usually
in most cases leave wills in our care, in this case; Mr. Viktor Chase died
intestate. In line with our internal processes for account holders who
have passed away, we instituted our own investigations in good faith to
determine who should have right to claim the estate. This investigation
has for the past months been unfruitful.

We have scanned every continent and used our private investigation
affiliate companies to get to the root of the problem.

According to the Laws of Republic of China, at the expiration of 6 (Six)
years, the money will revert to the ownership of the Chinese Government if
nobody applies to claim the funds. What I wish to relate to
you will smack of unethical practice but I want you to understand
something. It is only an outsider to the banking world who finds the
internal politics of the banking world aberrational. The world of banking
especially is fraught with huge rewards for those who occupy certain
offices and oversee certain portfolios,I alone have the deposit details
and they will release the deposit to no one unless evidence of
relationship with the deceased, which I shall provide you with, is
presented. I alone know of the existence of this deposit for as far as
Taishin International Bank is concerned, the bank's management has no
single idea of what? the history or nature of the deposit. They are simply
awaiting instructions to release the deposit to any party that comes
forward.

I am aware of the consequences of this proposal. I ask that if you find no
interest in this project that you should discard this mail. I ask that you
do not be vindictive and destructive. If my offer is of no appeal to you,
delete this message and forget I ever contacted you. Do not destroy my
career because you do not approve of my proposal,If you find yourself able
to work with me, contact me through this email address. If you give me
positive signals, I will initiate this process towards a conclusion. I
wish to inform you that should you contact me via official channels; I
will deny knowing you and about this project. I repeat, I do not want you
contacting me through my official phone lines nor do I want you contacting
me through my official email account.

Contact me only through the numbers I will provide for you and also
through this email address. My official lines are not secure lines as they
are periodically monitored to assess our level of customer care in line
with our Total Quality Management Policy. Please observe this instruction
religiously. Please, again,note I am a family man, I have a wife and
children. I send you this mail not without a measure of fear as to
what the consequences may be, 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 learned from my private
banking clients. Do not betray my confidence. If we can be of one accord,
we should plan a meeting,soon.

In closing, please observe utmost confidentiality, and be rest assured
that this transaction would be most profitable for both of us because I
shall require your assistance to invest my share in your country. Upon
receiving your reply, I will then furnish you with a more comprehensive
detail of this transaction and what is required of you.
Please reply to my private Email: mr.tongli@9.cn

Awaiting your urgent reply.

Yours Sincerely,
Mr. TONG LI

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