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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: Williams Henry <williamshenry202020@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 2 Apr 2014 03:18:33 -0800
Subject: GET BACK TO ME

I am Mr. Williams Henry Omar Bongo the son of the former Gabon
president,late El Hadj Omar Bongo.

My mother Katharina and I are interested in relocating to your country,
with the aim of starting a new life and consolidating the finances
available to us in your line of business and under your management. Funds
we have available are securely deposited in a Governmental Bonded Vaults
being US$43,600,000.00 (Forty-Three Million, Six Hundred Thousand United
States Dollars Only) in liquid assets. After the death of my father on the
8th of June 2009, my elder brother Ali Bernard of a different mother has
decided to take control of our late father's great fortunes and to become
the next president of Gabon.

I and my mother have been able to secure the documents of the above amount
deposited in my mother's name. The funds are presently kept in the custody
of a private depository firm here in South Africa. We urgently seek your
partnership to move the funds out of South Africa and invest it in
profitable ventures with you to avoid my half brother taking it from us.
You can as well view the below websites for further information on my
father:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/09/world/africa/09bongo.html?_rhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8088399.stm

We intend to share the funds thus;

For Your Involvement; 20%
Myself & My Mother; 80%

Firstly, we would need a brief work history indicating your capability to
handle funds of this magnitude and also we would need to move the funds out
of South Africa as soon as we can possibly make necessary arrangements for
the investments of the funds in your country.
My mother and I have carefully worked out the modalities for the eventual
transfer. You are to participate as our foreign partner in the scheme of
arrangement. My mother personally requested that I send this mail to you to
seek your assistance and participation.

Kindly indicate your interest by replying me as I am presently in South
Africa now

Kind Regard,
Mr. Williams Henry Omar Bongo

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