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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.Laurence Kitcher" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <laurencekitcher@rediffmail.com>
Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2012 01:59:41 -0000
Subject: My Offer

Sir,

With due respect, I would like to bring to your attention a Business Deal for your consideration and should this offer interest you, do not hesitate to provide me your direct telephone numbers for further discussion of this offer in full details.

I am a Banker with a Foreign Bank that based in Ghana, West Africa. I have an Account under my Portfolio that I would like to present you as the Next of Kin for possible claiming. The Closing Balance in the Account as at today is US$54,883,730.00 (Fifty Four Million Eight Hundred and Eighty Three Thousand Seven Hundred and Thirty US Dollars Only) The Original Owner of the said Account is dead leaving no Legal Authorization as to who becomes the Next of Kin to claim or inherit the aforementioned Funds. You and I can partner to claim the funds provided we handle this transaction with Utmost Secrecy. This is Risk Free without any legal implication associated to the offer. I look forward to hearing positively from you while our sharing ratio is 50:50 equal bases.

Yours Respectfully,

Laurence Kitcher.
Relationship Manager.

Anti-fraud resources: