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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. Kenneth Wassi" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <kennethwassi@cantv.net>
Date: Wed, 30 Jun 2010 10:01:27 +0200
Subject: Good Day

Good Day

My name is Mr. Ken Wassi, I work for one of the Prime Banks in Cote d'Ivoire. I am contacting you in regards to a business that involves the transfer of a hugh sum of money from a dormant account. Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make any one apprehensive and worried,but I am assuring you that all will be well at the end of the day.

PROPOSITION
I discovered an abandoned sum of S$18,625,000.00 (Eighteen Million Six Hundred and Twenty Five Thousand Dollars) in an account that belongs to one of our foreign customers This very account has been dormant for over 5yrs now. I after my investigations, I discovered that the account owner has died since January 2000. Since his death, nobody has come forward to lay claims to this money and recently a probate order has been issued and as such if nobody comes for the claim, the account will be declared unservisable and the funds called to the goverment treasury. In other to avert this negative action, I now seek your permission to have you stand as a next of kin to the deceased as all documentations will be carefully worked out by me for the funds to be released in your favour as the next of kin. Iin acceptance of our mutual business endeavour by furnishing me with the following:

1. Your Name
2. Postal Address
3. Date of Birth
4. Telephone and fax numbers

These information will enable me work on the account file so that you can now apply for the release of the funds as the next of kin to the account.We are going to share the total sum on final conclusion of this project on a 50:50 ratio. If you are truely disposed and capable of handling this with me, reach me immediately.

Regards,
Kenneth Wassi

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