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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: steve Hulmes <steve90hulmes@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: steve Hulmes <madibabet@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 19 Jun 2013 22:56:57 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Dear Respected.


Dear friend
 
Compliments of the day! Please I will appreciate it if you should avail yourself of this opportunity, but first of all I must introduce myself and appeal that this information should be kept very confidential, I am Mr. Steve hulmes. I work with one of the reputable banks here in London, UK. I have a business proposal that I wish to entrust into your care.
This is about the account of our late client who happens to share same name identity with you. He died without any registered next of kin to this account. It took me so much time to search you out because of your name identity. I can present you to the bank as our late client's beneficiary next of kin because you share same name identity with our late client.
I was his account officer to this account before he died so I have all the documents to this account. I will provide all the legal papers from the British court to prove you as the beneficiary next of kin to this account. If I can be assured of your ability to treat this issue with every bit of confidentiality and maturity putting my integrity foremost, on your confirmation of this message and indicating your interest, I will furnish you with more details. Once all the required legal papers are provided to the bank, they must have to release the funds to us.
 
My colleague who was working with Halifax bank some years back had this same opportunity. He got a partner from Korea who worked with him in the transaction because his late client was from South Korea. Within 3wks the bank released the money to his partner and today that my friend has relocated to Korea with his family and has setup big business with his partner. Please listen, this is real and happens in several banks even in your country without people knowing it. A lot of customers open private accounts with different banks without the knowledge of their families and without any registered next of kin. When they die, such money will be lost to the bank unless someone comes to claim it. This is how a lot of bank directors make so much money silently because they divert these funds to their personal accounts and declare the account unserviceable. It is privileged information that you must have to keep to yourself for now. I would really appreciate it
if you can give this a trial. It does not come always. We cannot afford to loose it. You stand to loose nothing but stand to gain a whole lot by working with me in this very fruitful transaction. All I, need from you is trust. Please provide me with your full name, direct mobile telephone numbers, your present country of residence and your age in your reply to this mail.
 
 
Regards,
Steve hulmes

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