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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: "Gary Wells" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <gwells_66@yahoo.com.cn>
Date: Mon, 6 Dec 2010 22:21:55 +0100
Subject: KINDLY ASSIST ME:

WARNING: THE INFORMATION IN THIS MESSAGE AND IN ANY ATTACHMENT CONTAINS CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION AND IS INTENDED SOLELY FOR THE ATTENTION AND USE OF THE NAMED ADDRESSEE (S). IT MUST NOT BE DISCLOSED TO ANY PERSON(S) WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION. IF YOU ARE NOT THE INTENDED RECIPIENT, OR A PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR DELIVERING IT TO THE INTENDED RECIPIENT, YOU ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO AND MUST NOT, DISCLOSE, COPY, DISTRIBUTE, OR RETAIN THIS MESSAGE OR ANY PART OF IT.
 
 
Greetings,
 
 
Urgent Telegraphic / Swift Transfer of: US$21,000,000.00 (Twenty One Million US Dollars Only)
 
 
Pardon my invading your privacy. I got your contact from January, 2010 worldwide database and yellow pages encyclopedia after due consideration believing you are a highly respected personality. Although, I do not know to what extent you are familiar with events, hence I contact you.
 
 
Firstly, I must solicit your strictest confidence in this transaction; this is by virtue of its nature as being utterly confidential and “TOP SECRET” with great magnitude involving a dormant transaction requiring maximum confidence; I am sure and have confidence of your ability and reliability to prosecute this magnificent transaction. I am Mr. Gary Wells [a British Citizen] From Haledon, North West London, here in England. I work for Barclays Bank Corporation London. I am writing you from my office for a business proposal that will be of immense benefit to both of us. In my department, being the assistant manager (St Johns Wood Office, I discovered an abandoned sum of US$21,000,000.00 (Twenty One Million US Dollars Only) in an account that belongs to one of our foreign customer Late Mr. Thompson Morrison American citizen who unfortunately lost his life in the plane crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261 which crashed on January 31, 2000 including his wife and only daug
 
 
The choice of contacting you is aroused from the geographical nature of where you live, particularly due to the senility of the transaction and the confidentiality herein. Now our bank has been waiting for any of the relatives to come-up for the claim but nobody has done that. I have personally been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for 2 years now, I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin/Will Beneficiary to the deceased so that the proceeds of this account valued at US$21,000,000.00 can be paid to you. This will be disbursed or shared in these percentages, 60% to me and 40% to you. I have secured all necessary and legal documents that can be used to back up this claim we are making. All I need to do is to add your name in our Vetting Computer (VC) as the next of kin and your bank details in order to make you appear as the rightful beneficiary of this fund. I will also document it in the court here to prove you as t he legitimate beneficiary or next
 
 
Now, I require your honest Co-operation, Confidentiality and Trust to enable us sail through this transaction successfully. I guarantee you that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you and me from any breach of the law both in your Country and mine respectively.
 
 
Please, provide me the following as we have 14 business days to run it through. This is very urgent please.
 
 
1. Full name
2. Your telephone number
3. Your contact address
4. Age
5. Core job/ Occupation
6. Sex
7. Scanned copy of identification
 
 
Having gone through a methodical search, I decided to contact you hoping that you will find this proposal interesting. Please upon your confirmation of this message and your indication of interest, I will furnish you with more information. Endeavor to respond as soon as possible.
 
 
Regards,
 
 
Gary Wells
 

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