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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: Standard Chartered Bank <info@standardcharttered.org>
Reply-To: romaxwell@ymail.com
Date: Mon, 26 Aug 2013 20:39:35 +0200
Subject: Joint Venture Management


FROM: Robert Maxwell
1 Bunhill Row London
EC1Y 8YY United Kingdom

Telephone Numbers: +442070606917
Fax Numbers: +448446651492
Reply to: olneypaul@ymail.com





Hello dear,



I am Robert Maxwell, director of the Accounts & Auditing Department at the
Standard Chartered Bank, London-United Kingdom. With due respect, I have
decided to contact you on a profitable business operation.

In our bank during last annual auditing a staff came across a dormant
account.
Fund in an account is considered unclaimed when a bank or building society
loses contact with the account holder for a period of years. Congruently,
The Financial Times reports there is “sea of unclaimed assets sloshing
around the financial system in United Kingdom," very conservatively
estimated to be worth £77 billion!

Coincidentally, after my findings I happened to be amongst bank delegates
to attend BRICKS Member nation’s conference in Durban-South Africa and
having seen the vast investment opportunity in your country it motivated me
further to go on board on this project with you for the purpose of
investment prospect.

The total amount in the account is £10,600,000.00. With my positions, we
can claim this fund by presenting you as his next of kin and I will supply
you with all the necessary information and bank data to assist you to
receive this money to any bank of your choice otherwise our establishment
will convert the fund into the bank treasury.

Be assured that this operation does not attract any risk, so I would want
you to keep this business deal secret and confidential.

Kindest regards,

Robert Maxwell

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