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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: "Christian M. Lauson" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <christianlauson@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Mon, 13 Dec 2010 12:57:17 -0000
Subject: Re: Urgent Please

Attention:

Firstly, not to cause you embarrassment, I am Barrister. Christian M. Lauson, a Solicitor at law and the personal attorney to late Mrs. Sigrid Fassnacht, a foreign contractor from Cologne, Germany who died on a plane crash on July 25th 2000 with her husband Rudi Fassnacht. Her husband and their two children also perished in the air France Concorde New York bound flight; please click here for verification: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm

Before her death she was a contractor to British National Petroleum Co-operation (BNPC) and has a balance with a London bank to the tune of (£10 Million Pounds Sterling GBP) which she did not disclose to anybody before her sudden death. However, all my efforts to trace members of her family has been fruitless, this is the main reason I am writing you to ask for your co-operation. 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 £10Million Pounds can be paid to you as the beneficiary. We are to share this money between ourselves and also donate 10% to charity and the tsunami victims.

All necessary legal documents that will be used to back up your claim, as the will beneficiary will be carefully worked out by me here in England. All I require is your honest CO-OPERATION, CONFIDENTIALITY and TRUST to enable us sees this transaction through. I guarantee you that this will be executed under a legitimate Arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. Should you be interested in this offer please get back to me earlier on my private Email: christianlauson@yahoo.co.uk

Your positive response will be highly appreciated.

Yours sincerely,
Christian M. Lauson.

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