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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: "MIKEL BLACK" <mikelblack@yahoo.cn> (may be fake)
Date: Mon, 27 Dec 2010 20:39:56 -0000 (GMT)
Subject: URGENT MAIL FROM MR MIKEL BLACK

Attn: Sir,



I am Mr. Mikel Black, the Chief Auditor of Focus Financial Management
Ltd., a finance and investment management company in the United Kingdom.
In the course of performing my duties in the company as an auditor, I
discovered floating money in a domiciliary account which was opened in
1994 belonging to a foreigner MR. K.P. Michelle who died in 1999. All
effort to track any member of his nuclear and extended family or next of
kin has since failed. I contacted you to stand as his next of kin so that
I can present you to my company as his next of kin. He died without
leaving an Heir or a Will.



My intention is to transfer the sum of Fifteen Million Five Hundred
Thousand United States dollars (US$15.500.000.00) in the aforementioned
account to a safe account overseas for our private use. I am proposing
that you partner with me since you bear the same last name with the late
account holder and provide a bank account or open a new one that will
serve the purpose of receiving this fund. For your assistance and
participation in this venture, I am ready to part with a thirty percent
(30%) of the entire funds i.e. Four Million Six Hundred and Fifty Thousand
United States dollars (US$4,650,000.00) as your share. On scrutinizing the
deceased records and files with our finance company, I discovered that:



(1) No one has operated this account since 1999. (2) He died without any
next of kin; hence the money has been floating. (3) No other person knows
about this account.

If I do not remit this money urgently, it will be declared as unclaimed
fund and converted to the company's funds which will benefit only the
directors of my firm. This money can be approved and paid to you legally
once I present you as the next of kin and secure all the documentary
approvals and certifications in your name and also guide you stage by
stage on how to make your claims applications to ensure its approval and
payment.



Please reply by faxing back to me a copy of my letter and stating your
direct telephone and fax number on it (please buy a fax machine if you do
not have one because we cannot do the business without a fax number since
most of our correspondences will be by fax) so that I can send you
detailed information on the modalities of my proposition. The entire
process leading to the crediting of your bank with the inherited funds
will be completed within 14 working days. I implore you to keep this
proposition confidential as it is failure proof, 100% risk free and legal.
I look forward to your prompt response as I can be reached on my direct
email address below.



Best Regards



Mr. Mikel Black.

Focus Financial Management Limited

Email : mikelblack@yahoo.cn
PRIVATE TELL:+44-7092886536



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