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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: "Alfred Morgan" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <amorgan@yahoo.cn>
Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2012 07:47:37 -0700
Subject: Dear Friend

Asset Management London.
Dear Friend,
 
 
Let me first introduce myself, I am a senior partner in the Technical Advisory Board of Union Bank Plc. As We are conducting a standard process investigation on behalf of The International Banking conglomerate. This investigation involves a client who shares the same lastname with you and also the circumstances surrounding investments made by this client with Union Bank acumulate sum of Sixteen Million United States Dollars. ($16, 000, 000, 00) The client died in testate and nominate no successor in title over the investments made with the bank. I contact you independently on our investigation and no one is informed of this communication in my office.
I would like to intimate you with certain facts that I believe would be of interest to you. You share similar details to the late fellow, and I am prepared to place you in a position to instruct the Bank to release the deposit to you as the closest surviving relation. Upon receipt of the deposit, I am prepared to share the money with you 50/50. I would have go ahead to ask the funds be released to me, but that would have drawn a straight line to me and my involvement in claiming the deposit. Although civil servant is not allowed to operate domiciliary account in my country.  I am aware of the consequences of this proposal and I asked that if you find no interest in this project that you should discard this mail.Do not be vindictive and destructive If my offer is of no appeal to you, delete this message and forget I ever contacted you.
Should in case you do not accept my proposal please do not destroy my career because you do not approve my proposal. You may not really know the importance of this offer. I am not a criminal, and what I do. I do not find it against good conscience, this may be hard for you to understand, but the dynamics of my industry dictates that I make this move. Such opportunities only come ones in a lifetime. I have family and this is an opportunity to provide them with new opportunities of life.
If you give me positive signals, I will initiate this process onwards a conclusion. I send you this mail not without a measure of fear as to what 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. I believe that proceed of the transfer into your bank account after you have been approved and acknowledge as beneficiary of the account is just five banking working days.
Please confirm below information in your next reply. I will include the information with text of application to the bank in your name.
My Private Email: amorgan@yahoo.cn
First Name...............
Last Name................
Contact Address..........
Contact Tel..............                                                       
Sex Age..................                                                                        
                                                                                                           
If we can be of one accord, we should plan a meeting soon.
Kind regards.
Mr. Alfred Morgan.

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