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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: "MICHAEL JOSEPH LEYDEN" <michaeljoseph_leyden@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: michjoleydon@blumail.org
Date: Thu, 15 Sep 2011 19:43:03 +0300 (EEST)
Subject: CAN YOU WORK WITH ME ON THIS, ON TRUST?




MICHAEL JOSEPH LEYDEN.
UNITED NATIONS RELIEF FUND DEPARTMENT.
UNITED NATIONS PLAZA LONDON UK.

Sir/Madam,

My name is MICHAEL JOSEPH LEYDEN of the UNITED NATIONS RELIEF FUND
DEPARTMENT(UNRFD).I have not considered this medium to be the best manner
to have approached you of this issue being that the internet has been
grossly abused over the years.I have decided to take this means seeing
that it is the fastest way to reach on you.

The UNITED NATION has since embarked on a fund relief programme to
Families/victims of War,Flood,Draught,Bomb Blast,Hurricain, Earth Quake,
Hunger, Disease, Malnutrition, Displacement,Conflict,etc,who may have
lost,lives,properties and their hard earned Money,as a result of the above
mentioned.This is in an effort to assist the families/victims come back to
life and as part of UN Fight to protect human rights all over the world.

In carrying out Payments on this relief Fund excercise,we were instructed
by the UN to pay affected victims/families the sum of
USD$1.500.000.00.(One Million,Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars
Only).This Excercise has been on for the past years now,with much of the
payment to the TSUNAMI Disaster.Recently, we have been instructed to carry
out the Relief Fund excercise round the world.It is on this note that I
have contacted you to work with me so that the sum of USD$1.5Million will
be approved and released to you on trust as one of the victims for me and
you to share,if only you can give me your word that you will not betray my
effort after the fund must have released to you.I will perfect all the
paper works and release documents as well as prepare a note on the
disaster on your behalf.

If you are ready to work with me on this,kindly as a matter of urgency get
back to me with your full details as follows,your full names, address,
age, occupation, sex,telephone numbers and any of your ID's(either drivers
licence or international passport)so that I will use is to file for the
claim in which the payment will be approved and paid to you through our
Accredited payment centres or Banks.

I look forward to your urgent response as we have started compiling the
list of victims that will benefit for the last quater of the year 2011
which your name will be included as one of the beneficiaries,while
advising that you should keep every inch of our communication highly
confidential.Be informed that your presence is not needed for the approval
as your name will be included among the list received from variouse
countries.This is risk free and 100% real.

Regards,
MICHAEL JOSEPH LEYDEN.

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