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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: "Tamiko Hiroshi" (may be fake)
Date: Fri, 20 Sep 2013 01:45:41 -0700
Subject: Re: Please Read. Very Important


Dear Friend,

I am Tamiko Hiroshi, and i work with one of the Banks Here in United
Kingdom. I am getting in touch with you regarding the estate of a deceased
client with similar last name and an investment placed under my
management. I would respectfully request that you keep the contents of
this mail confidential and respect the integrity of the information you
come by as a result of this mail. I contact you independently and no one
is informed of this communication.

my client was going through a horrendous divorce in the United States of
America and was on the verge of losing most of his estate to his wife. As
a result of this alarming predicament, my client came to me with a Very
brilliant idea. He transferred some funds,Twenty million Five Hundred
Thousand United State Dollars ($20.5m) to a fixed deposit account with
another bank in the united kingdom under an alias which only the two of us
knew about as the confidentiality of the matter was necessary for his
protection.

Due to his untimely death in early 2010, the funds have been sitting in
the account ever since and will continue to do so unless we do something
about it. This is where you come in. I located you through an agency that
helps seek people by their email. My client did not declare any next of
kin in his official papers including the paper work of his bank deposit
and the reason I am writing you is because you share the same last name.
Against this backdrop, my suggestion to you is that I would like you as a
foreigner to stand as the next of kin to our client so that you will be
able to receive his funds.

What I propose is, (since I have exclusive access to his file), you could
be made the beneficiary of these funds. I am prepared to instruct the bank
to release the deposit to you as the closest surviving relation. Upon
receipt of the deposit,
I am prepared to share the money with you in half. You do not have to have
known Alfred. I know this might be a bit heavy for you but please trust me
on this.

Nobody is getting hurt; this is a lifetime opportunity for us. I hold the
KEY to these funds, and from my years as a banker, we see so much cash and
funds being re-assigned daily. Please, again, note I am a family man; I
have a wife and children. I send you this email 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 as soon as possible.


I await your response.
Mr. Tamiko Hiroshi.

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