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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: "Bank of China, Hong Kong." <chenguan2010@9.cn>
Date: Wed, 17 Nov 2010 16:28:33 +0100
Subject:

Bank of China (Hongkong)
410 Fuchengmennei Dajie,
Beijing 100818,
China.

Dear partner,

I hope that my email gets to you in a perfect condition, as i hope we
can be of one accord.
Before we go fully into this business let me start by introducing
myself to you fully. I am Mr. Ip Ming Fai, Head of Operations for the
Bank of China (Hong Kong), and i hope we will be able to accomplish
success from this partnership together.

Regarding my business plan, before the U.S and Iraqi war one of our
client Gen. Mohammed Al-Muhajir who was with the Iraqi forces and also
a businessman made a numbered fixed deposit for 12 calendar months
with the value of (US$46,700.000.00.) only into an account with my
branch without declaring any next of kin in his official papers
including the paper work of his bank deposit. Upon maturity several
notice was sent to him, even during the war. Again after the war
another notification was sent and still no response came from him. We
later found out that Gen. Mohammed Al-Muhajir and his family had been
killed during the war in bomb blast that hit their home.

As i served as his personal accountant, he also confided in me the
last time he was at my bank that no one knows of the deposit except
for me since the money was looted from the Iraqi government during
war. So,(US$46,700.000.00) is still lying in my bank and no one will
ever come forward to claim it. What bothers me most is that according
to the banking laws of our federal reserved, at the expiration of
7years the funds will revert to the ownership of the Hong Kong
Government if nobody applies to claim the funds. Against this
backdrop, my suggestion to you is that I will like you as a foreigner
to stand as the next of kin to Gen. Mohammed Al-Muhajir so that you
will be able to receive his funds.

WHAT IS TO BE DONE:
I want you to know that I have had everything planned out so that we
shall come out successful. I shall use the services of an attorney to
prepare the necessary document that will back you up as the next of
kin to Gen. Mohammed Al-Muhajir, but i will need to be reassured of
your ability to receive this fund before i can instruct the attorney
to start his job. After you have been made the next of kin, the
attorney will also file in for claims on your behalf and secure the
necessary approval and letter of probate in your favor to move funds
to an account that will be provided by you. There is no risk involved
at all in the matter as we are going to adopt a legalized method and
the attorney will prepare all the necessary documents.

Please endeavor to observe utmost discretion in all matters concerning
this issue. Once the fund have been transferred to your nominated bank
account we shall share in the ratio of 50% for me, 50% for you. Should
you be interested please contact me and I will prefer you to reach me
on this email address (mr.ipmingfai@yahoo.com.hk) which is my private
email address and finally after that i shall provide you with more
details of this operation. Your earliest response to this letter will
be appreciated.

Kind Regards,
Mr. Ming Fai

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