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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: "BARRISTER HARRY JOHNSON" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <bar.harry_johnson11@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 24 Nov 2011 18:58:24 -0500
Subject: Hello.

BARRISTER HARRY      JOHNSON AND ASSOCIATES LEGAL CHAMBERS.
                   Bankruptcy Law, Estate Planning, Family Law,Immigration
                   Probate & Estate Administration And Wills Law.
                     HEAD OFFICE NO: 24 JALAN JATI OFF BU-KIT BIN TAG
                               55100 KUALA LUMPUR MALAYSIA.
 
 
My Dear,
 
I crave your indulgence to excuse unsolicited desire of going into business
relationship with you. I got your contact from a computerize data following my
effort searching for your last name ,a trustworthy person to assist me in an
inheritance claim of $25million.
 
My name is Barrister HARRY JOHNSON , I am the personal attorney to late Mr. Ken
who executed contract in the tune of USD $25million in Malaysia.
 
My late client, Late Mr Ken had completed the contract and was in verge of
nominating his bank account where the $25million will be transferred by the
accredited paying bank, a purpose for which he traveled to his Native country
Sendai Japan to open a bank account, unfortunately for him, he fell a victim of
the catastrophic earth quake and tsunami that occurred in Japan.
 
Since I confirmed he was dead, and knowing him fully well as orphan, he has no
wife and no relatives who knows his whereabouts or about the contract fund of $6
million, I decided to track his last name on the Internet; basically to locate
any trustworthy and faithful person around the world who bear similar surname
with him, hence I contacted you.
 
As explained above,I am contacting you to assist me to claim the Fund valued at
{$25million} TWENTY FIVE   Million United state Dollars, executed contract fund that
was approved in favor of my late client for the contract he executed with the
Federal ministry of works Malaysia before his untimely death in Japan on 11th of
March 2011 .
 
As his known lawyer,the authority of the bank has issued me a notice to provide
the next of kin to late Ken  to come for the fund claim, otherwise the fund will
be confiscated within the next two Weeks of official working days.
 
So I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin to late Ken since you
bear similar surname that will prove you without doubt his relative, so that the
proceeds of this contract fund can be paid to you.
 
Therefore, on my receipt of your positive response, we shall then discuss the
sharing ratio and modalities for the transfer. I have all necessary information
needed to back you up the claim. All I required from you is your honesty and
maximum co-operation to enable us see that this transaction goes successfully. I
guarantee that this will be executed under legitimate arrangement that will
protect you from any sense of breach of the law.
 
Finally, your TELEPHONE/FAX numbers, YOUR AGE & OCCUPATION   and your land
mailing address are urgently needed for easy communication on the commencement
modalities of this claim.
 
Best Regards
 
BARRISTER HARRY JOHNSON.     bar.harry_johnson@hotmail.com

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