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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: "NATIONAL WESTMINSTER BANK PLC LONDON" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <natwestbanklondonuk11@oued.org>
Date: Mon, 2 Aug 2010 05:20:04 -0700
Subject: From: Mr. RUSSELL CLARKE

From: Mr. RUSSELL CLARKE
Group Finance Director,
Natwest Banking Group United Kingdom.
 
Good Day.
 
 
I am pleased to send my compliments to you as I have written to you once but you did not give me a comprehensive answer. 
I know that this letter will definitely come to you as surprise but please do accept it as a request from a man in need of help.
I hope my medium of contact to you will not in any way contravene your ethics of better judgment.
Let me first introduce my humble self again, I am Mr. Russell Clarke. I am the Group Finance Director, Natwest Banking Group
United Kingdom. I have been in this position for 4 years now and I will leave this office by the end of this year.
Please I have a very good and urgent business I want you to look at and see if you can assist me. Please do not see this as an insult.
Yours truly,
 
Mr. Russell Clarke.
 

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