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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: R B I India <james_medhurst@live.com>
Date: Thu, 3 Oct 2013 20:02:49 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: URGENT NOTICE

Dear Friend,

I am Mr. James Medhurst, I must solicit your confidence in this transaction;
this is by virtue of the nature as being utterly confidential. Though I know
that a transaction of this magnitude will make any one apprehensive and
overwhelmed, but I am assuring you that all will be well.

The project I am presenting to you is a case of my late client, Dr. David
Martin who willed £3.2 million GBP (Three Million Two Hundred Thousand Great
Britain Pound Sterling) only to his next-of-kin. It was most unfortunate that
himself and his next-of-kin died on the same day in train crash in Spain. I am
now faced with indecision about who to pass the funds to. This email might come
as a surprise to you, since there was no previous correspondence between us. My
purpose of contacting you is for you to help secure the funds left behind by my
late client, to avoid it being confiscated or declared unclaimed by the
financial institution. visit the website: huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/25/victims-
spain-train-crash_n_3653412.html

The financial institution has issued me a notice to contact the existing
relative less the account will be declared unclaimed and the fund's diverted to
the financial institution's treasury. So far, all my efforts to get hold of
someone related to my late client has proved abortive. I am actually asking for
your Consent to present you to the financial institution as the Next of
Kin/beneficiary of my late client's fund, so that the proceeds of this will be
released to you.

I shall provide all the documents to back up the claim as my client's Next of
Kin. All I require is your honest co-operation and commitment to enable us
achieve this transaction. I wish to point out that I want 10% of this money to
be shared among charity Organizations, while the remaining 90% would be shared
equally between us at the ratio of 45% you and 45% for me. This transaction is
entirely risk free. I will use my position as the client’s attorney to
guarantee the successful execution of this transaction.

Upon your positive response with your personal details such as, your full
names, contact address,age,occupation,position,telephone,mobile and fax
numbers, I will give you a call for more discussion on this issue and let you
know the step forward.

I remain faithful,

James Medhurst (Advocate)
Kindly reply me through my private email; james_medhurst@live.com

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