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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: "Mr.Xin Wei" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <xin.wei@rediffmail.com>
Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:01:49 +0100
Subject: CAN I TRUST YOU?

Good day to you.
 
I am Xin Wei,Principal Assurance manager for the Huaxia Bank in Hong Kong. For security reasons I have asked a friend who is going to UK to post this letter on my behalf. I am getting in
touch with you regarding the estate of a client of mine and an investment placed under our bank's management 7 years ago. I would respectfully request
that you keep the contents of this mail confidential and respect the integrity of the information you come by as a result of this mail. I contact you
independently and no one is informed of this communication. In 2004, he came to our bank to engage in business discussion with our private banking division. He informed us that he had a financial portfolio of 18.35million United States dollars,
which he wished to have invested on his behalf.
 
Based on my advice, we spun the money around various opportunities and made attractive margins for
our first months of operation, the accrue profit and interest stood at this point at over 10 million United States Dollars. In mid 2004, he instructed that the principal sum
(18.35M) be liquidated because he needed to make an urgent investment requiring cash payments in Hong Kong. We got in touch with a specialist bank, called the
DahSing Bank also in Hong Kong who agreed to receive this money for a fee and make cash available to him. However, surprisingly Dahsing Bank got in touch
with us last year that this money has not been claimed. On further enquiries we found out that he was involved in an accident in Mainland China, which
means he died intestate. He has no next of kin and the reason I am writing you is because you
seem to share the same last name as the deceased. This is subject to confirmation when you respond to this message.
 
What I propose is that since I have exclusive access to his file, you will be made the beneficiary of these funds. After all due protocols has been observed, my bank
will contact you informing you that money has been willed to you. On verification, which will be the details I make available to my bank, my bank
will instruct Dahsing Bank to make payments to you.
 
You do not have to have known him. I know this might be a bit heavy for you but please trust me on
this. For all your troubles I propose that we split the money in half. In the banking circle this happens every time. Otherwise, the other option is that the
money will revert back to the state. Nobody is getting hurt; this is a lifetime opportunity for us. I hold the KEY to these funds, and as a Chinese National we
see so much cash and funds being re-assigned daily.
 
However, please take note that the claim of ours will be subject to verification, but I will ensure
that you are duly guided by me. You have nothing to fear. Please, again, note I am a family man; I have a wife and children. I send you this mail not without a
measure of fear as to t the consequences, but I know within me that nothing ventured is nothing gained and that success and riches never come easy or on a
platter of gold. This is the one truth I have learned from my private banking clients. Do not betray my confidence. If we can be of one accord, we
should act swiftly on this. Please pardon my writing mistakes. Get back to me immediately via confidential email address so as to enable me provide you with
more details..
 
I await your soonest response, after which I will furnish you with the further way to go. Please
forgive me for my English language when we speak on telephone. It is very not fluent while speaking.
 
 
Xin Wei.

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