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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: "P. Albert Wong" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mralbertwong@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 2 Aug 2011 17:28:11 +0800
Subject: Consent Request

Dear Friend



I am Mr Albert Wong; I work with HSBC Bank Malaysia. I came to know of you in my private on-line search for a person to handle this confidential business which requires maximum confidence. A contractor and business commercialist who died of heart attacked, has a total sum of US$7.3M (Seven Millions, Three Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) with our bank and since death, no next of kin has come forward to claim his financial balance till date.

It is because of the perceived possibility of not being able to locate any of his relation, the management of our bank under the influence of the remittance office and the Board of Directors, are making arrangements for the funds to be declared "UNCLAIMED BILL" so that the fund will be paid into Government treasury.

In order to avert this negative development, I now seek your permission to have you stand as a next of kin since you have the same surname and the US$7.3M would be released and paid into your bank account as the beneficiary & relative next of kin to the deceased person.
BENEFITS...

On your reply of acceptance, I shall inform you on how to handle this business and all documents will be sent to you. We shall also discuss and agree on our individual shares/benefits as regards to the sharing of the total funds. This is for your benefit and mine too, so I await your urgent response today.
Sincerely,
Mr Albert Wong.
mralbertwong@hotmail.com

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