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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: "DR. BENJAMIN JOHNSON" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <drbenjaminjohnson@dr.com>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2011 23:21:00 +0100
Subject: Message Dated Wednesday 19th of January 2011

Hello,
 
I apologize for sending you this sensitive information via e-mail Instead of a Certified/Post-mail. This is due to the urgency and importance of the information to reach you at this particular time I need it most. I humbly crave your special indulgence to read this e-mail with all seriousness of purpose devoid of any doubt in your mind because this project is based on trust, confidentiality and Sincerity of purpose in order to have an acceptable meeting of the minds.
 
I am Dr. Benjamin Johnson a citizen of United Kingdom; I am writing following an opportunity in that will be of immense benefit to both of us, although I must say I do not know you know or never meet with you before, but I know that a day brings a story and thereby trust set in if truth is in what one is projecting.
 
I am sure if you bring up your mind in one accord with me and see the reason why I have decided to email you with this proposal alone and equally give adequate attention to this as nobody gets up and start framing stories of death for a Childs play without an obvious reason.
 
I plead that you should not be disappointed with this email coming to you as an Unsolicited mail or Spam, but to see the proven reason why I have directed this Email to you alone without any third party so that the Confidentiality of this matter can be really observed as there is one lifetime opportunity that God blesses a Man with, which in my heart today I see this as not just an Opportunity but a divine arrangement for a Change in our status, and therefore I believe so much that this upcoming relationship between me and you is bond to change peoples definition of trust, I believe so much that anything worth having is worth fighting for, we all are destined to prosper in different means, we cant tell how this will come only if will bring up our mind open unto trials as we dont know our good luck charm in a lifetime, and if will miss it might take the whole generation to come to us again, that is why most people cry everyday! of their retirement life, facing
 
Please do not feel bad receiving my message dated  Wednesday 19th of January 2011 to you, once again my name is Dr. Benjamin Johnson, I am a very good friend to Late Mr. Roy Ahmed Abdul Rajan a National of your country, who was born on the 7th day of Jan, 1946. My Late friend Mr. Roy Ahmed Abdul Rajan who until his untimely death was a big contractor and a Real estate investor in my country London United Kingdom. I met my late friend in 1997 in Oxford business School London and we became more than brothers and loved each other despite different nationality and this is why I have vowed that I will never leave his sweat to the already rich government of the United Kingdom this I am doing to make sure his dreams leaves by finding any of his relative from your country.
 
See the link for your Confirmation about what I am saying so you can understand I am not here for a Childs play:
 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4150312.stm
 
 
My friend until his death did not have a wife nor a child to stand as his next of kin as he was single and was only concentrating on his numerous business dealings Late. Mr. Roy Ahmed Abdul Rajan was involved in the Greek air crash unfortunately he lost his life in the crash with the other 121 people on board.
 
I have consulted the embassy about this loss and they have not responded about this and right now I have received a call from Hebron Trust Banking Group again were my late friend have a fixed deposit account to provided the next of kin to the deceased for the second time since the fixed deposit agreement have come and gone leaving the money without any direction and there is no way they can pay this money left behind to me because I am not of the same nationality and based on this I have been mandated by the bank to look up for the extended relative to file a claim for this money before they return it to unclaimed government bill coffers. The bank stated that according to the credit history of my late friend that I am the only closest and a more reliable business associate, that I should be able to know at least one of the relative of my late friend, but unfortunately I have searched and searched no one can be traced, untill ! I came across your details in the
 
Please I am contacting you based on sincerity and integrity to assist me in securing this money left by my late friend valued at (5.7 million) British pounds sterling before it gets confiscated by the bank where these huge deposits are because there is nobody coming for it since he have no next of kin in his banking data till date and the Bank in London has issued me a notice to provide the next of kin since I am the only close business associate they knows.
 
 
I am contacting you believing you might be related to my late friend and because you have the same nationality this will make it easy for you to stand based on nationality and this money will be paid to you instead of going to the coffers of government, seeing you are from the same country of my late friend.
 
 
I want you to be confidential about this so that we can work on this successfully and this fund secured in your name and have the bank release this fund to you legally. I seek your consent to present you as the Next of kin to the deceased since you are a fellow National, with the same citizenry with my late friend and in his banking data there is no next of kin documentation because he is single and the both parents are late and he is the only offspring of the entire household.
 
 
This is not a Childs play it needs a person with understanding and articulation to look at this matter and know that nobody plays with matters of death for just a fun,so I need all zealousness and commitment in spirit and in truth to push this urgent matter to the end with all positive attitude and focus till this matter is done. I am asking you to lend me your whole trust and let us see what happens with this issue positively this begining of the Year 2011 and lets see if this year will guarantee our retirement lives success.
 
All I require from you is your honest cooperation to stand firmly and proper confidentiality of this issue to you only since I contacted you alone for this transaction.
 
I guarantee and vow that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you and l from any breach of the law this I will explain in more details and all the sharing modalities will made known which will be documented in MOU as soon as I hear from you positively and we can move ahead with one goal as brothers and partners.
 
Thank you for your even understanding of this urgent matter at hand and the sure need to have this matter done expressly.
 
Call me as soon as you have received this letter so I can be rest assured you got this letter and I will explain a little about this over the phone for your timely understanding is important you understand the importance of calling me immediately seeing we have a maximum of 9 days left before the bank takes a major action in this issue.
 
With the Most Best and Warmly Regards,
 
 
DR. BENJAMIN JOHNSON (Rtd ) BA,MA,PhD
Fellow Royal school of arts London, United Kingdom.
 
Cell Phone: +447024093007
Home Phone: +447024021308

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