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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: "Mr. Laurence Carter" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <laurencecarter@linuxmail.org>
Date: Sun, 19 Jun 2011 19:03:10 +0300
Subject: Receive Your Outstanding Contract/Inheritance Fund Payment.

Public information Center World Bank
From The Desk of Mr. Laurence Carter
Director, Small and Medium Enterprises,
The World Bank
E-mail: laurcarter@accountant.com
 
 
 
Dear Fund Beneficiary,
 
 
We have received series of reports regarding your outstanding contract inheritance fund payment which is still pending base on their failure to deliver on your payments because of their unprofessional in handling your payment procedure as against the International Banking rules and regulations, we at the World Bank have decided to use our professional understanding with the International community to effect the release of your payment.
 
After our careful study of your payment file, we came to understand that the officers who are claiming to have being helping you from Africa and London including the federal reserve officers, are all incompetent and corrupt as they have taken full advantage of you by asking you for so many payments because they lack the professional capabilities to secure the release of your fund payment.
 
Now, we have taken full responsibility to make sure that you received your fund payment successfully within the duration of 72 hours from the first day you respond to this important message. Also, We want you to understand that all the officers you have been dealing with you all this time have failed to help you receive your fund payment successfully as you desired, because they cannot handle your payment matter the way we would handle it and we are the only people in-charge of this matter now.
 
We must warn you to stop any further communication with any other persons or offices and ignore any other arrangement made by those parties and you must not disclose this payment arrangement to anyone whom you have being dealing with in the past to avoid any distraction that will jeopardize your chances of securing your fund release because we are now fully in-charge of your fund payment.
 
Therefore, be informed that the sum of USD10.5M has been approved in your favor and an International Financial Attorney has been appointed to use his wealth of experience on international Financial matters to secure the immediate release of your fund payment within 72 hours and you should contact the Financial Attorney now with the information as follows:
 
Robert Johnson
Dubai-UAE
Email: robert.johnson@one.co.il
 
The Choice is now yours to make, as Mr. Robert Johnson; the International Financial Attorney is now waiting for your Urgent response so that he can commence action on the release of your fund without any-further delay.
 
Sincerely
 
Mr. Laurence Carter
Director, Small and Medium Enterprises
The World Bank
 

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