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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: "Mark Foster" <markf103@gmail.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: mf30297@live.com
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 2010 17:10:19 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: Please Respond

From: Mark Foster (Welling & Associates, Fulham, London SW6 1RP, United
Kingdom).

Hello,

I am Mark Foster, an attorney here in the United Kingdom. I am writing
following an opportunity in my office that will be of immense benefit to
both of us. I was the legal counsel to the late Mr. Rudolf Haeussler, a
German who unfortunately lost his life in the 24 November 2001 Crossair
aircraft crash of the 97-seat Jumbolino Avero RJ-100 aircraft en route
from Berlin, Germany to Zurich, Switzerland, killing also his wife and
only daughter.

The aircraft crashed in poor weather conditions as it approached Zurich
airport. Before his death, I assisted him in depositing a consignment
containing the sum of US$19.1M (Nineteen Million One Hundred Thousand US
Dollars) with a financial institution in one of the major cities here in
Europe. Since I got information about his death, I have been expecting his
next of kin or relatives to come over and claim his money.

Unfortunately I learnt that his supposed next of kin being his only
daughter died along with him in the plane crash leaving noone with the
knowledge of this fund . It is therefore upon this discovery that I now
decided to do business with you and release the money to you as the next
of kin or beneficiary of the funds for safe keeping and subsequent
disbursement since nobody is coming for it. I would need you as a
Foreigner acting as the next of kin and sole benefactor to the inheritance
of late Mr. Rudolf Haeussler to claim the funds for us to share

There are no risks whatsoever involved in this transaction as everything
will be done legally and within the purview of the Law.All neccessary
documents will be duly applied for and obtained. Please endeavor to
observe utmost discretion in all matters concerning this issue. Once the
funds have been transferred, we shall share in the ratio of 60% for me,
35% for you and 5% for any expenses incurred during the course of this
operation. Should you be interested, please send me your telephone and
fax numbers for easy communication. In the event you are not interested, I
sincerely ask that you disregard this email and tell no one about it. I am
very careful not to truncate my legal career should you mention this to
someone else.

I hope you can be trusted in this regard. Please note that all necessary
arrangement for the smooth release of these funds to you have been
finalised. We will discuss more in details when I receive your response.
Your earliest response to this letter will be appreciated.

Best regards,

Mark Foster esq.












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