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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "Andy Turner" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <admin@fidelityfundclearing.com>
Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2012 01:50:36 -0500
Subject: From Andy

Bank UBS AG Switzerland
Postfach 8098 Zürich
Switzerland
Swiss Clearing Number:230
Postal Account:80-2-2
SWIFT: UBSW CH ZH 80A

Good Day,

I am an investment consultant working with UBS Zurich, Switzerland . I will
be happy to work this deal out with you if you have a corporate or personal
Bank Account and if you are capable to keep TOP SECRET. I need strong
Assurance that you will never let me down, if I transfer this money to your
account.

During one of our periodic auditing I discovered a dormant accounts with
holding balance of US$ 52,000.000.00 { Fifty Two million US Dollars only}
Sometimes a person will open a bank account, deposit money, and then
disappear into the tin air.. Banks are not always able to find out what has
become of these
silent customers, or to know whether they should follow up
on requests from people who claim to be heirs to the accounts. The main
problem is that the customer resides abroad and, due to bank secrecy, the
bank cannot publish notices in the international press to locate the
depositaries. This has led the majority of Swiss banks to refrain from
opening small-deposit accounts for foreign customers; for fear that they
will forget that the account exists.

It has happened in the past, however, that customers pass away and their
heirs can neither prove the death, nor their heir ship. This was a frequent
occurrence during the wartime periods, and the banks have now set up a
simple, rapid resolution procedure operating to their customers' advantage.
Dormant assets are defined as any assets deposited with a bank (i.e. an
account, a custody account or a safety-deposit box) for which there has
been no contact with the
customer in the bank's files for the last ten
years or more. I am constrained to issue more details about this business
until your response is received.If you know that you are capable to handle
large or small amount on trust and can keep secret and ready to take 45% of
any amount I transfer to your account from the dormant account and I will
take 55%, send your account information's by return mail. Tell me more
about yourself, while I look forward to receive the above information.

I want to re-assure you that this business is risk free and you can send an
empty account to receive the funds, provided that the account is capable to
receive incoming funds.

Thank you for your time and attention as I wait for your reply with your phone number.

Warmest regards,

Mr. Andy Turner

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