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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: "Mr Steve Clarke" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mr.steveclarke@aol.com>
Date: Sat, 19 Apr 2014 08:34:51 -0700
Subject: From Steve Clarke

Steve Clarke (Esq.)
Southend Road, Hornchurch, London RM13 7XU United Kingdom.
Phone:+447092897655 Fax: +447092987779

Dear Friend


This is a personal letter directed to you and I request that it be treated
as such. I must solicit your Confidentiality and assure you that I am
contacting you in good faith and this proposal will be of mutual benefit. I
am Steve Clarke, a solicitor at law. I am the personal attorney/sole
executor to the late Mr. Robert,LAST NAME WILL BE DISCLOSED UPON RESPONSE.
hereinafter referred to as my client who worked as an independent oil
magnate in my country. He died in a car crash with his immediate family in
East London on the 5th of November 2005.My late client, a former
Sub-Comptroller working with Chevron Texaco Oil here in the United Kingdom,
had Left behind a deposit of Seventeen Million Eight Hundred Thousand United
States Dollars only ($17.8million) with a bank. After the death of my
client, the bank contacted me being his attorney to provide his Next of kin
who will inherit his fortune and this according to them is their policy in
such circumstances. Since the death of my
client, I have written several l

However I have reasoned very professionally and I can use a legal means to
present a next of kin of my deceased client. This is legally possible and
would be done in accordance with the laws of the land. On this note I
decided to search for a credible person and finding that you bear a similar
last name, I decided to contact you, that I may, with your consent present
you to the "Trustees" as my late client's family member, so as to enable you
put up a claim to the bank in that capacity as a next of kin of my client. I
find this possible for the reasons that you are of the same nationality and
you bear a similar last name with my late client making it a lot easier for
you to put up a claim in that capacity. I have all vital documents that
would confer you the legal right to make this claim and would make them
available to you so that the proceeds of this bank account valued at
$17.8million can be paid to you before it gets confiscated or declared
unserviceable to the bank whe
re this huge amount is lodged. I
Like I said, I require solemn confidentiality on this. Please get in touch
with me by mr.steveclarke@aol.com for better confidentiality and send to me
your telephone and fax numbers to enable us discuss further on this
transaction. My contact FAX number is +44709 298 7779. If this proposal is
acceptable by you, do not take undue advantage of the trust I have bestowed
in you,

Thanks for your understanding.
Kind Regards,


Steve Clarke
Phone: +44 709 289 7655
Email: mr.steveclarke@aol.com

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