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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: "Ryan Inesta Handerson (Esq)" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <barhanderson@wss-id.org>
Date: Sun, 28 Oct 2012 20:32:15 +0100
Subject: Greetings from Ryan Inesta Handerson (Esq)

Dear Partner,
 
Do permit me to introduce myself briefly; I am Barrister Ryan Inesta Handerson (Esq), A Solicitor and Legal Consultant in Spain.  Actually, I got your contact information through the public records while searching for a reliable one to partner with me in claiming a deposited estate of my late client by name Late Mr. Robert Fitzpatrick, an American who was a business magnate that lived in Spain for Nineteen years died along with his family in a plane crash on 31ST, October 1999, (an Egyptian Boeing 767 Flight 990) with other passengers on board. Find the website below before for your perusal.
 
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/1999/11/01/iran/main49778.shtml
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/502503.stm
 
Unfortunately they All lost their lives in the event of the accident, since then I have made several enquiries to locate any of my client's extended relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful. After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace his relatives over the Internet to locate any member of his family but to no avail, hence I contacted you.
 
Do not be amazed by this e-mail confidential business proposal. I am contacting you based on Trust and confidentiality that will be attached to this transaction.
 
Prior to my explaining further, I must first make an apology for this unsolicited mail to you. I am conscious that this is certainly not a predictable way of approach to foster a relationship of trust but because of the circumstances and urgency surrounding this claim I decided to reach you via this media to join me to put claims on this fund before it is seized or confiscated by the authorities. Before the catastrophe; He deposited sum of $5.8M (Five Million Eight Hundred Thousand United State Dollars only) with a Bank here in Spain.
 
As the attorney, the Bank has mandated me to present a member of his family member (heir/inheritor) to make Claims or the fund will be confiscated to the federal reserve account as unclaimed, I was given an ultimatum to look for some relative to come for the claim or have the fund liquidated and made unserviceable in accordance with existing laws “ATTICUL 104B”.
 
After preliminary efforts of search for a direct family member which came to no avail, I decided to contact you, my suggestion to you is that I will like to present you as the beneficiary to this deposited fund, I know you may not be anyway related to my late client but having every legal proof is a possibility that the abandon deposited fund with the bank will be released/transfer to you. I can guarantee that if you are willing and interested I will put in place all necessary modality in accordance with the Law to legally present you as the true Next of Kin and true beneficiary.
 
This transaction is 100% risk free as I have worked out all modalities to complete the operation effectively. Once the fund is released and transfer to you, we shall divide the content in the ratio of 50% /50% as our benefit. Each ($2.900, 000.00 for each of us),   Endeavour to get back to me whether or not you are willing to collaborate with me or not So that I can further my search for another partner.
 
Kindly indicate your interest to this email by responding back to me through my private email address to enable us discuss further. More so, I will appreciate if you indicate your full names, telephone/fax numbers and Contact address for easy communication in this mutual transaction. You can respond through my personal private email address; barhanderson@wss-id.org for further clarification. 
 
 
I wait for your quick response.
 
Best Regards,
Ryan Inesta Handerson (Esq)
 

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