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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: pasch4@mecx.owncloud.arvixe.com
Date: Mon, 04 Aug 2014 19:59:09 +0000
Subject: LET ME KNOW WHATEVER YOUR FEEL


Hello Dear,

I wish to intimate you with a request that would be of immense benefit
if you can bear with me. Being an executor of WILL, it is possible
that we may be tempted sometimes to make fortune out of our client
situation, when we cannot help it at anytime such an issue arise or
left with no other better option. The issue I am presenting to you is
about my client late Chang Leung, a Chinese oil merchant that lived in
my country for 7 years before he was killed by the dreaded EBOLA virus
disease (EVD) soon he flied back to Nigeria. He WILLED a fortune to
his next-of-kin, but it was most unfortunate that he and his
next-of-kin were killed by EBOLA virus disease and they died same day
at an interval of two hours. Fervent valuable efforts has been made
by me to get in touch with any of Chang Leung family or relatives but
all have proved to no avail. I am now faced with confusion of who to
pass the fortune to. According to the Nigerian law, the fortune funds
are supposed to be bequeathed to the government. But I feel to use it
outside my country because I don’t belong to that school of thought
which proposes that the fortune of unlucky people be given to the
government.

I want to go into private investments and from my findings, your
economy has being growing rapidly in tourism and I want to invest in
real housing estate’s which I will tell you more and all you need to
know as we proceed. My main reason of contacting you is to assist me
establish and manage my investment project over there since I will not
always be there for the day to day running of the business because I'm
still active with certain governmental appointments.

For this reason I seek your assistance to act as his next of kin so
that you can stand and lay claim to this his WILL of 14.4million
pounds sterling, which this unfortunate client bequeathed to the
next-of-kin who also died with him. For now, it is only known to me,
as my client has great confident in me. If my proposal is ok for you,
I want you to take note that everything will be left between you and
me. The share would be 40% for you, 10% for any expenses that might be
incurred during and within the transaction and 50% for me pending when
I come over for us to see face to face. All I have to do is to amend
the WILL stating you as the next of kin and dully beneficiary to the
14.4million pounds sterling of my late Clients funds.

I prefer not to divulge my full identity so as not to risk being
debarred of my profession from the Nigerian Bar because the Nigerian
Bar considers it a breach of the oath of the Nigerian Bar Council. I
need not emphasize to you that the sensitivity of this issue is vital
and not to be toyed with by neglecting its confidentiality.

At this point I want to assure you that your true consent, full
cooperation and confidentiality are all that are required for us to
take full advantage of this great opportunity.

This is an opportunity that people rarely have of which I expect your
kind response through my direct email: pdonatius@yahoo.com

Yours truly,

Barrister Patrick Donatius


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