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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: "Lewis Herman" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <herman251666@barid.com>
Date: Sat, 29 Dec 2012 14:07:31 -0800
Subject: GOOD NEWS

Dear, freind
 
My name is Mr  Lewis.kater,  and i head a deposit Security Company.
I hope i can trust you in what am about to disclose to you.I discovered an over-due and unclaimed consignment containing the sum of $15 Million Dollars and it was deposited as family Treasury and valuables by the Late Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi who was confirmed killed recently. After careful investigations i found out that there is no next of kin on his files and with my position in the company i am the only one aware of this situation and that the consignment contains money.
 
Now what i want you to do is to receive the consignment as the beneficiary and i will provide all necessary documents to legitimize the claim in your name. I will arrange with a courier company that will deliver the consignment to you as a left over luggage by a D.F.I.P (Diplomatic Free Inspection Procedure) means of shipment,in which they will not have to know the contents of the consignment because the will be delivering it as a non-inspection consignment. or i can send you the funds by bank to bank wire transfer in which you will be receiving the funds as the beneficiary.
 
I am willing to share with you at the ratio of 60/40 and i will want you to send my own share to an account abroad which i will be providing to you.I will handle all expenses of moving the consignment from Burkina Faso until it gets to your country. Then you will be contacted by the diplomatic agent assigned to make the delivery to you when he arrives in your country with the consignment, all you have to do is to pay for the clearing charges over there and receive the consignment.And if you prefer to receive the funds by bank to bank wire transfer,you will have to handle all the transfer requirements until it hits your account.
 
Get back to me to if you are in agreement to all i have said, and reconfirm to me your Telephone Number, Full Name, Home, Address, Age, Occupation, so i can effect the change of ownership of the consignment into your name and i will send you a copy of the change of ownership, which you will be using to claim the consignment when it arrives at your location as the rightful legal recipient.For security reasons you have to keep this as a secret until you receive the funds safely.Get back to me for more details.
Bye for now and hope to hear from you soon again.
 
  Mr Lewis.kater,
Deposit Department Manager,
Email: GOOD NEWS
 
I am the Director Inspection Unit, United Nations Inspection Agent here in New-york USA.
During our investigation, I discovered that there is a fund in your name that needs to be released to you but due to some
 
obstacles, you have not received it.
 
The details of the fund including your name, the official document from United Nations office in London are NOT tagged on the
 
document of the fund, details of which will be forwarded to you upon receipt of your response.
 
For mutual benefit, please provide me with your Phone Number and your full address, and reply so that I can give you the good
 
news and my full details and also of the transaction. I will give you contacts for people that I have assisted to receive
 
their fund in Europe and Canada, as well as here in the States.
 
Your urgent response is needed with your full details if you are interested. Call me immediately Tele; 718-734-6164 E-mail: 
 
herman251666@barid.com
Best Regards
Lewis Herman

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