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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: "Frank Williams " <bf6h@altekk.net>
Reply-To: mtsr01@googlemail.com
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2010 08:07:21 +0000
Subject: Please comfirm Receipt

Hello,

 

I contacted you because one of my clients (a foreigner) who worked as a consultant made a numbered time Fixed Deposit, valued at $14,600,000.00 (Fourteen million Six hundred thousand Dollars), for twelve (12) calendar months in a Bank here in London, In January 2007,

Upon maturity, they sent a routine notification to his forwarding address but got no reply. After some few months, they sent a reminder and finally discovered from his contract employers that he is no longer on earth. Then through the account docume nts they found me as his attorney and requested that I provide his legal next of kin to
claim the fund.

The said fund is still in the Bank and the interest is being rolled over with the principal sum at the end of each year. In accordance  with the UK Trust and Federal Laws, at the expiration of 4 (Four)  years, his investments with the banks Financial Trust shall revert to  ownership of United Kingdom government if I am unable to provide  somebody to apply as the next of kin to claim the investments.

I have made all contacts and found out that he had no body to come for this fund since he was yet unmarried and died with his fiancé on the same Auto accident.

I contacted you because you bear the same surname identity and therefore legally qualified to be presented as the beneficiary to the inheritance. I therefore reckoned that you work with me in order to receive this fund as you are qualified by your name identity.

Upon your acceptance of this transaction, I request that you kindly forward to me your letter of acceptance; your current telephone and fax numbers and your current forwarding address and I will forward the banks information to you for you to put up a legal/formal claim application and all the legal papers will be processed upon the banks approval.

Regards,

Frank Williams

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