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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: "Edward Williams" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <thosrupertchmber@w.cn>
Date: Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:42:19 -0600
Subject: inheritance opportunity

Good Day
 
It is by the grace and favor of God that I’m sending you this inheritance opportunity e mail. My names are Edward Williams; I am the solicitor to Late Dr. Lloyd John Old, from San Francisco USA, he was THE CHIEF PROPONENT OF IMMUNOTHERAPY as a means to fighting cancer, he was a scientist, he died on the 28 day of November 2011 in Manhattan. His research focused mainly on deciphering the cellular codes by which the immune system communicates, his discoveries opened a broad field of study and much wealth from research institutions, consultation into ways of marshalling such cells to combat cancer including illnesses associated with AIDS.
 
Dr. Lloyd John Old was informed of his terminal date, he called and instructed me on what to do in respect of his sum (USD$67,000,000:00M) sixty seven million dollars only, paid to him by the Africans researchers in West African States (ECOWAS) through his vault account with One of the bank in Europe, for a research and training he conducted for the organization on Cancer, HIV and AIDS. I was involved in the integral part of the contract signing and to the end.
 
Due to the seriousness of the illness and short time he has to live, he instructed me and forwarded copies of the instruction to the bank that these funds shall be inherited by a person or group who will use it for humanitarian purposes and among his wishes are religious ministries, charity homes and identified less privileged persons, this in his wisdom is to acknowledge God’s Grace and Blessings upon his life and also for restitution for his soul before God Almighty.
 
It shall be my pleasure to inform you if you have the interest of this great opportunity to work with me and get this fortune out of the bank, we shall share it 50/50 but it must be confidential between us, no ear supposed to hear this because of my reputation, I am counting on you, all documents that would enable you receive this fund will be forwarded to you if we are in agreement
 
Remain blessed.
 
Edward Williams
Senior Partner
Rupert Thomas Augustus Chambers
 

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