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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: "Mr Wang Yi" <wangyi@asia.com>
Reply-To: wang-yi@gmx.com
Date: Sun, 1 Sep 2013 15:23:43 -0000
Subject: INHERITANCE




From The Desk: Mr. Wang Yi
Tel: +85281926121
Date: 1st Of September, 2013




Dear Sir or Madam,

I would respectfully request that you keep the contents of this letter
confidential and respect the integrity of the information you come by
as a result of this letter. I contact you independently and no one is
informed of this communication. My names are Wang Yi- Chief Finance
Officer with Shenzhen Development Bank (SDB) Hong Kong; I have asked a
friend coming to the UK and USA for holiday to post this letter on my
behalf. I am getting in touch with you regarding the estate of a
deceased client with similar last name and an investment placed under
our banks management.

In 2001, My Client came to our bank to engage in business discussions
with our private banking division. He informed us that he had a
financial portfolio of $28.35 million United States Dollars, which he
wished to have us invest on his behalf. Based on my advice, we spun
the money around various opportunities and made attractive margins for
our first months of operation, the accrued profit and interest plus
capital stood at this point at over 32 million United States Dollars.
In mid-2002, he instructed that the principal sum (28.35M) be
liquidated because he needed to make an urgent investment requiring
cash payments. We got in touch with a specialist bank namely Sumitomo
Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) who agreed to receive this money for
a fee and make cash available to my client. However Sumitomo Mitsui
Banking Corporation (SMBC) got in touch with us last year that this
money has not been claimed. On further enquiries we found out that my
client was involved in an accident in mainland China. He has no next
of kin, which means he died intestate and the reason I am writing you
is because you are namesakes sharing the same last name.

What I propose is that since I have exclusive access to his file, you
will be made the beneficiary of these funds. Sumitomo Mitsui Banking
Corporation (SMBC) will contact you informing you that money has been
willed to you. On verification, which will be the details I make
available to my bank, Shenzhen Development Bank will be instructed to
make payments to you after all the necessary verification and
application is done. You do not need to have known my late client. I
know this might be a bit heavy for you but please trust me on this.
For all your troubles I propose that we split the money in half. In
the banking circle this happens every time. The other option is that
the money will revert back to the state after the stipulated time span.

Nobody is getting hurt; this is a lifetime opportunity for us. I hold
the KEY to these funds, and as a Chinese National we see so much cash
and funds being re-assigned daily. I would want us to keep
communication for now strictly by the above telephone and email.

Please, again, note I am a family man; I have a wife and children. I
send you this mail not without a measure of fear as to 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
clients. Do not betray my confidence. If we can be of one accord, we
should act swiftly on this. Please get back to me immediately via the
email, telephone or fax number above.

I await your response.
Mr Wang Yi

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