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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: jason <jonathan1962@live.co.uk>
Reply-To: jansmith50@live.co.uk
Date: Tue, 07 Aug 2012 21:22:56 +0300
Subject: FYA

Dear friend,

My names are Jason Smith; I am an executive Auditor with Barclays Corporation here in the United Kingdom. Upon recommendation, I wish to request your participation in a business transaction which may require strict confidentiality. The intention of this letter is to ask for your co-operation in redeeming an investment, which has been afloat in a suspense account of our Bank. The source of this money now valued at Three million, Six Hundred thousand British pounds Sterling’s (£3.6 million) was an investment interest, purchased originally by one Engineer Wayne Brown who was an American citizen, in 1980 and leased to Barclays Finance Limited a subsidiary of Barclays Corporation UK.

Since the maturity of this investment in September 2005, several attempts have been made to contact the Beneficiary or his next of kin or any of his closed relatives [in whose favour the cash value of the investment can be paid] without any success. Recent report by this department finally revealed that there is no Surviving member of his Family or next of kin. Furthermore, my colleagues and I are in charge of monies owed to overseas beneficiaries by this department and we have initiated a process to file a claim for the matured cash value of £3.6 million of the investment in hopes of transferring the money overseas into your trust for us. It is on this note that I have been instructed by my colleague to contact you and get your that I may, with your consent, present you to the "Trustee" Bank as a surviving family member so as to enable you put up a claim to the bank in that capacity as a next of kin of late Eng. Wayne Brown.

If we can come to an ‘agreement’, my partners and I can successfully initiate a claim for the £3.6 million, claiming that you are the next of kin of the deceased and that you are appointed heir beneficiary of his investments. If this claim is approved, you will be paid the total sum of the cash investment.

However, be rest assured that there is absolutely nothing to worry about with respect to this claim; it is perfectly safe with no risk involved. It is secured from further inquires, as the Auditors board committee is given the powers to investigate and verify claims for the payment to overseas beneficiaries. Upon our recommendation, your claim will be approved for onward payment to you. You maybe be required to travel to the UK to process the claim yourself. The money will be paid into an overseas bank account that you will nominate.

Consequently, for assisting us, at the end of the transaction your share will be 40% of the total sum.10% will be set aside for expenses and 50% will be our share and it will be under your trust pending viable investment opportunities available to us. I will meet you in your country to ensure that our 50% is secured. I assure you that we are in the position to make this payment possible pending we have your full co-operation and guarantee that our money will be safe in your possession.

By the civil services rules and regulations, we cannot transfer monies overseas in our names or Company names and we are not allowed to operate foreign accounts.

I do hope that my proposal is acceptable to you. Please you can reach me on the email address above to indicate your interest, and then I will establish communication with you and appraise you with the complete details as soon as I obtain your confidence.

I anticipate your response.


Yours Sincerely,

Jason SMITH


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