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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: "WILLIAM WINTERS" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <wbnkgroup408@msn.com>
Date: Fri, 1 Nov 2013 13:28:40 -0400
Subject: GREETINGS FROM WILLIAM WINTERS

Greetings from William Winters,
Dear ,
I am William Winters the Managing director and head of international fixed income of JP Morgan Bank ,New York.I have an urgent and very confidential business proposition for you. On June6, 2004, an Iraqi, a Foreign Oil consultant/contractor with the MOBIL PETROLEUM CORPORATION,USA MR. HAFFEZ ALSADIQUE.made a (Fixed deposit of US$29,500,000.00 (Twenty Nine Million Five hundred Thousand Dollars only)in my bank.
 
Upon maturity in 2008, I sent a routine notification to his forwarded address but got no reply. After a month, we sent a reminder and finally discovered from his contact an employee of Mobil Petroleum Corporation that Mr. HAFFEZ AL SADIQUE died as a result of torture in the hand of Sadam Hussein during one of his trips to his country Iraq.
On Our investigation, I found out that he died in Iraq war without making a WILL and all attempts to trace his next of kin were fruitless.
 
I therefore made further investigation and discovered that MR HAFFEZ AL SADIQUE did not declare any next of kin or relation in all his official documents.
 
This sum of US$29,500,000.00 have been floating as unclaimed since 2008 in my bank, all efforts to get his relatives have hit the stones. According to the U.S.A banking law, at the expiration of 5 (Five) years, the money will revert to the ownership of the US Government if nobody applies to claim the fund and the five years will be elapsing by December 2013.
 
Consequently, my proposal is that I would want to seek your consent as a foreigner to stand in as the owner of the money as the next of kin to the deceased so that the bank will transfer the money to your designated account. All documents and proves to enable you get this fund will be carefully worked out. I have secured from the probate an order of mandamus to locate any of the deceased fund, am assuring you that the business is risk free involvement. Your Share stays while the rest be for me and for investment purpose
.
The sharing of the funds will be based According to agreement between {both of us} that is, you and i.
 
As soon as I receive an acknowledgment of receipt of this message in acceptances of our mutual business proposal, I will furnish you with the necessary modalities and disbursement ratio to suit both parties without any conflict. If this proposal is acceptable by you then revert to me and do not take undue advantage of the trust I have bestowed in you.
 
William Winters
Managing director and head of international fixed income.
JP Morgan Chase Bank,

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