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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: "Sir.Karl Hanford" <karl_hanford@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: hanford_karl@yahoo.com
Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2013 15:21:10 -0000 (GMT)
Subject: From Sir.Karl Hanford




Dear Sir/Madam,

I presumed that all is well with you and your family. Please let this
proposal not come to you as a surprise, because we haven't met before. I
got your contact information from a web directory few weeks ago before I
decided to contact you on this business opportunity.My name is Sir. Karl
Hanford I'm an employee of A reputable bank here in London United Kingdom.

I am also a member of an Ad hoc committee recently set up by the British
Government to look into growing number of dormant accounts in UK banks due
to deaths of customers, with a view to finding ways of locating relatives
of the dead customers.The British Government is already working with some
NGO'S through the unclaimed Assets Register, to confiscate and divert
unclaimed depositor's funds to help the bad economy.

Read this article below for more details:

http://www.unclaimedassets.co.uk/trace_forgotten_funds.htm

This particular case involves a customer in my bank,and also the
circumstances surrounding huge deposits of G.B.P made by this customer at
the Private Banking arm of Halifax Bank Pl c (UK)this customer died in
testate and nominated no successor in title over the huge deposits of
(6,759, 000.00 million British Pounds)I would respectfully request that
you keep the contents of this email private and respect the integrity of
the information you come by as a result of this email. I'm contacting you
independently of our investigation and no one is informed of this
communication between you and I. I would like to intimate you with facts
that I believe would be of interest to you.I will simply nominate you as
the next of kin and have them release the deposit to you. I assure you
that I can have the deposit released to you within few days once you
accept this proposal. Upon receipt of the deposit, I'm prepared to share
the money with you 60/30.while we donate %10 to orphanages homes.

I am aware of the consequences of this proposal.I ask that if you find no
interest in this project that you should discard this mail. I ask that you
do not be vindictive and destructive. If my offer is of no appeal to you,
delete this message and forget I ever contacted you. Do not destroy my
career because you do not approve of my proposal. You may not know this
but people like me who have made tidy sums out of comparable situations
run the whole private banking sector.I am not a criminal and what I do, I
do not find 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 cannot let this
chance pass me by, for once; I have found myself in total control of my
destiny. These chances won't pass me by. I ask that you do not destroy my
chance, if you will not work with me let me know and let me move on with
my life but do not destroy me.I am a family man and this is an opportunity
to change my life for good.

There is a reward for this project and it is a task well worth
undertaking.I have evaluated the risks and the only risk I have here is
for you refusing to work with me.I am the only one who knows of this
situation, good fortune has blessed you with a name that has planted you
into the center of relevance in my life. Let's share the blessing.If you
give me positive signals, I will initiate this process towards 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
customers. Do not betray my confidence. If we can be of one accord, we
should plan a meeting soon.

I await your response by return email:hanford_karl@yahoo.com

Yours faithfully
Sir.Karl Hanford





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