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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: "MR. CHRIS EVANS" (may be fake)
Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2011 04:20:10 -0000
Subject: BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP REQUEST!

Dearest Friend,

I am Christopher Evans. A financial consultant and analyst based in London, and i was a former financial consultant to Late Mr. Morris Thompson, an 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 daughter.This you can confirm with the link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_Airlines_Flight_261

I decided to contact you purely on the personal conviction of trust and confidence to assist in distributing the funds left behind by my client. My deceased client, had a deposit of Five Million Five Hundred Thousand British Pound Sterling (?5.5 Million) which I helped him to open in one of the leading banks here in London two years before his death. Being his former financial and business consultant,I still possess the evidence and the whole paper documents of this deposit with his bank and hence the bank has issued me a notice to provide his next of kin or beneficiary, otherwise the account would be CONFISCATED since nobody has come forward to lay claims on the money since his death.

My search for his relative was not successfull and my proposition to you is to seek your consent and to present you as a relative/next-of-kin and beneficiary to my client, so that the proceeds of this account could be paid to you and we share the amount on a mutually agreed-upon percentage, 60% to me and 40% to you. Kindly note that all legal documents to back up your claim as my client's next-of-kin will be provided, what i require is your honest cooperation to enable us see this transaction through.Moreover, this transaction will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law and If this businessproposition offends your moral values, do accept my apology.

I must use this opportunity to implore you to exercise the utmost indulgence to keep this matter extraordinary confidential, whatever your decision is, do let me know by confirming to me your Full names:...... Contact Address:......... Contact Telephone number:...............Age:............ Occupation...........

Best regards,
Christopher Evans

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