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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: "Li Clark" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <palegebob@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2014 22:45:21 +0800
Subject: Re:info

Li Clark P.
clarklichu@gmail.com
Hello
Note: You are the sole recipient.
I am Clark Li the Learning and Development Manager at Hang Seng Bank in China. I am contacting you regarding the estate of Alfred and an investment placed under our bank's management 5 years ago. I want to respectfully request you observe confidentiality for the integrity of the information you come by henceforth. In 2005, the subject matter, came to our bank to engage in business discussions with our private banking division. He informed us that he had a financial portfolio of 14.5M in USD 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 stood at this point over 10M in USD. In mid 2007, he instructed that the principal sum (14.5M) be liquidated because he needed to make an urgent investment requiring cash payments in Hong Kong and China. We got in touch with a specialist bank in Hong Kong, Fubon Bank who agreed to
receive this money for a fee and
Fubon Bank Ltd. got in touch with us last year that this money has not been claimed. On further enquiries we found out that Alfred was involved in an accident in Mainland China, which means he died intestate, he has no next of kin, I write you for this reason because due to our code of conduct we are not allowed to show personal interest on funds of this nature, I am also contacting you for the fact that you are based abroad. More so, I got your email address through the commerce of trade foreign division. What I propose is that since I have exclusive access to his file, you will be made the beneficiary of these funds. My bank 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, my bank will instruct Fubon Bank to make payments to you. You do not have to have known him. This might look a bit heavy for you but please trust me on this. For all your troubles I propose that we split the money in
half 50/50 each. In the banking c
Thank you in anticipation.
Park Li Clark

Anti-fraud resources: