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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 Gerard Kenny Maxwell" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <gerardmaxw@aol.com>
Date: Sun, 7 Aug 2011 16:58:07 +0200
Subject: Good

Good Day Friend,
My name is Gerard Kenny Maxwell, I work with the Finance
Monetary Control Unit here in The Netherlands, we are responsible for checking
foreign account holders in all the different banks here in Netherlands. I
found your e-mail contact through my Country’s international Web directory.
During our last annual inspections of all the various accounts bank here in
The Netherlands, my department found a score to settle with a huge sum of U.S.
$10,500,000.00 (Ten million five hundred U.S. Dollar) which was deposited by
the now deceased Mr. Jerry R. Williams, an Australian citizen.
>From My investigations I discovered that the late Jerry R. Williams has no
beneficiary or next of kin to claim his funds (U.S.$10.500.000,00) and the law
of my country here in Netherlands is that when an account is inactive for more
than eight 8 years the Authority has the right to confiscate the funds. This
funds are about to be confiscated if I do not take advantage of it. This is
why I am contacting you to partner me in this once in a life-time business
opportunity. All you need to do is to stand as the next of kin to the decease;
my lawyer will process and provide all the relevant documents to that effect
and the money will be transferred to your account in your country so that we
can share it and invest it in profitable businesses.
All I need from you is for us to work together – just follow my instructions
and strategy, and l will provide all the relevant information and
documentations that will allow the said funds get transferred into your bank
account legally without an hitch or a problem. I will give you the full
explanation of this Business after you reply this email. I am looking forward
to hearing from you soon.
Kindly reply this e-mail by writing directly to my private email (gerardmaxw@aol.com)
Best regards,
Kenny Maxwell

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