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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: carlwoods@site.kz
Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2011 19:42:57 +0600 (ALMT)
Subject: FW:Official Information.

From The Desk Of Carl Woods
Library/Information Desk
Nat West Bank London.

Good day, 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. I humbly crave your 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.although, we
have never met before, but i have every reason to believe that you are a
highly respected personality, considering the fact that i got your e- mail
address through internet my online network, while searching for a reliable
and reputable person that can handle this transaction.

I am a senior information desk officer in Nat West Bank London. I am
writing following an opportunity in my office that will be of immense
benefit to both of us. In my department we discovered an abandoned sum of
10.5 (Ten million five hundred Thousand Dollars Only) in an account that
belong to one of our foreign customers late Mr.Morris Thompson an American
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.

Since we got information about his death, we have been expecting his next
of kin or relatives to come over and claim his money, because we cannot
release it unless some body applies for it as next of kin or relation to
the decease as indicated in our banking guidelines.

Unfortunately i discovered that his supposed next of kin being his only
daughter died along with him in the plane crash leaving nobody with the
knowledge of the funds behind for claim. It is therefore upon this
discovery that i and two other officials in this department now decided to
make business with you and release the money to you as the next of kin or
beneficiary of the funds for safety keeping and subsequent disbursement
since nobody is coming for it and we don't want this money to go back into
government treasury as unclaimed bill.

The banking law and guidelines here stipulates that any unclaimed money
after ten years will be transferred into banking treasury account as
unclaimed funds.

We agreed that 35% of this money would be for you as foreign partner,
while the balance will be for my colleagues and I. I will visit your
country for disbursement according to the percentage indicated above, once
this money gets into your account. Please be honest with me.

To commence this transaction, we require you to immediately indicate your
interest by a return e-mail and enclose the

Following information:

1. Full name
2: Your private telephone and Fax numbers.
3. Occupations and Nationality.


Please note that all the necessary arrangement for the smooth release of
these funds to you has been finalized.We will discuss much in details when
i do receive your response.

Best regards
Carl Woods

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