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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: "MORGAN COLE" (may be fake)
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2013 13:51:40 +0100
Subject: DEAR FRIEND, YOUR REPLY IS URGENTLY NEEDED.

Arlington Shamas Solicitors
First Floor 18 Grosvenor Street London
Tell: +44 7700077210
Fax: +44 7092986231
Ref
 
OUR REF: GESA/MHSO/P01/7367/11/10        YOUR REF:                         DATE: 16/ 1 / 2013
 
Dear Friend
 
Firstly, I must solicit your confidence in this transaction; this is by virtue of its nature as being utterly confidential and top secret. Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make any one apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that all will be well at the end of the day.
Let me start by first introducing myself properly to you. It may surprise you receiving this letter from me, since there was no previous correspondence between us. My name is Morgan Cole Esq. a personal Attorney to Late Mr. Mikhail 
My purpose of contacting you is for you to help secure the funds left behind by my late client, to avoid  being confiscated or declared unserviceable by the Bank where this fund valued £5,830,000.00(Five Million Eight hundred and Thirty thousand Pounds) deposited by my client before his death.
The Bank has issued me a notice to contact the next of kin or the account will be declared unserviceable and the fund diverted to the Bank treasury, So far all my efforts to get a hold of someone related to this man has proved abortive. Hence, I have contacted you. I am actually asking for your consent to present you to the Bank as the Next of Kin/beneficiary of my late client's fund, since you have the same last name, so that the proceeds of this account can be paid to your account.
All the legal documentations to back up your claim as my client's Next of Kin I shall provided. All I required is your honest cooperation to enable us achieve this transaction.
 
I wish to point out that I want 10% of this money to be shared among the charity Organizations, while the remaining 90% is shared equally between us. This transaction is entirely risk free. I will use my position as the client’s attorney to guarantee the successful execution of this transaction. If you are interested, please contact me via Tel: +44 7700077210 Fax +44 7092986231 or E-mail:   upon your response, I shall then provide you with more details and relevant documents that will help you understand this transaction well.
 
The intended transaction will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of law. However, if this business proposal offends your moral ethics, do accept my sincere apology. You have nothing to worry about since every legitimate protocol must be observed
If on the contrary you wish to achieve this great goal with me, kindly get back to me with your interest for further explanations.
Kindest Regards                                                                              
Morgan Cole (Esq.)

This message and all contents contain information from Kernan Orthopedics and Rehabilitation Hospital, which may be privileged, confidential or otherwise, protected from disclosure. The information is intended to be for the addressee only. If you are not the addressee, any disclosure, copy, distribution or use of the contents of this message is prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify us immediately (410-448-2500) and destroy the original message and all copies. Discover the rewards of being a part of our region's premier team. To learn more and to apply visit www.kernan.jobs

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