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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: "Dr. Benard Gavin" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <dr.bengavin@one.co.il>
Date: Tue, 4 Sep 2012 20:50:46 -0600
Subject: I hope to hear from you.

Good day,

I am contacting you because I am looking for a partner in the realization of a project. First of all I would like to introduce myself, I am Dr. Benard Gavin, I live in London England, am practicing as a financial consultant. I have an unusual but lucrative offer for you, I do not know you in person neither do you know me too but due to the urgency of the matter I have no choice than to write to an unknown person so as to enable me accomplish this great opportunity. I am the financial consultant to a deceased client who died abroad leaving a large fortune without a will nor an heir to the fortune, there was also no next of kin to claim this inheritance and after an extensive search to find someone but all to no avail.The government is now threatening to send the heritage to HM TREASURY it no claim application is submitted. I am basically looking for a partner outside the UK so that the fund can be transferred out from the shores of England and that was the reason I contacted.

My offer would be thus as follow: I will declare you as the beneficiary to my deceased client and then you will stand the chance to claim the fortune and for your cooperation and assistance I'll give you 50% of the capital assets on concluding of the business. Since I am the legible financial adviser to the deceased there is no problem to obtain all the necessary documents within a short time to enable the custodian financial institution release the fund to you immediately.

I am in the possession of all vital documents that will make this transaction a success. He was a serious businessman and has his fortune in South America and West Africa, he trade in minerals and he is also into construction industry his assets amount to a large sum and I am going give you more detail information concerning the exact amount we are going to share as soon as you confirm to me your interest to pursue this great opportunity.

Let me know if you can handle a transaction of this kind. I request that you write me back even when you don't find my proposal interesting so as to enable be continue my search expeditiously. However if you should be interested I am pleased to have found someone to help me with the release of the inheritance immediately. You can send me your telephone number for further oral discussion.

Best regards,
Dr. Benard Gavin

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