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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: "Harrison Sean" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ha.sean@hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2014 19:34:48 +0100
Subject: Great Opportunity

Wilfred Brown Building Uxbridge
London UB8 3BH England.


Dear Friend,


I am Harrison Sean, personal account manager to late Mr. William Etienne, national of your

country, who used to work with BP oil London United Kingdom limited, here in UK. Saturday,

October 23rd, 2010, my client, his wife and their three children were involved in car

accident which took his life and his entire Family, I hate to remember this incident but

God knows the best.
Since then I have made several enquiries to your embassy to locate any of my clients

extended relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful. After these several unsuccessful

attempts, I decided to do some research on the internet business website, to locate any

member of his family. That is why I contacted you to assist me in repatriating the money

and property left behind by my late client before they get confiscated or declared

unserviceable by the bank. The said Bank is in United Kingdom, a Commercial Bank where

plenty of rich people tend to hide away funds not ready to be used or invested.
The Bank has issued me a notice to provide the next of kin to my late client or have the

Account confiscated within the next month.
Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives of my late client for year
Your help will be appreciated with 40% and 50% to me, while 10% will be used for expenses,

I use this opportunity to seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the

deceased, so that the proceeds of this account valued at 17.3 Million Pounds Sterling can be

transferred into your account..
I guarantee that this will be executed under legitimate arrangement that will protect you

from any breach of the law. Please accept my apologies, keep my confidence and disregard

this letter if you do not appreciate this proposition I have offered you.
Thank you very much for your understanding.

Best Regards,

Mr Harrison Sean

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