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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "Mark Wood" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <wood.mark@outlook.com>
Date: Sat, 6 Sep 2014 12:06:42 -0700
Subject: READ CAREFULLY

Dear Friend.

I am Mr. Mark Woods, Business Investment Manager for Barclays Capital United Kingdom, I am contacting you independently and no one is informed of this communication. In 2000 Mieczyk came to our Bank, Barclays Capital and had series of talk with the Investment Banking Division. He informed us that he had a financial portfolio of £12.65 million GB Pound, which he wished to have us invest on his behalf.
Based on my advice, we invested the money, and made attractive margins for our first months of operation, the profit and interest stood at this point at over £14 Million GB Pound. In mid 2002, he instructed that the principal sum (£12.65Million) be liquidated because he needed to make an urgent investment requiring cash payments in the Isle of Man.
We got in touch with a specialist bank in Isle of Man the Coutts Investment Bank who agreed to receive this money for a fee and make cash available to Mr. Mieczyk through their Isle of Man Branch. However Coutts Investment Bank got in touch with us last year that this money has not been claimed. Upon further enquiries we found out that Mieczyk has passed on February 2007 (DECEASED) which means he died intestate. He has no next of kin named in any of the paper work held on his file.
What I am proposing is that, since I have exclusive access to his file, you will be made the beneficiary of these funds. Barclays Capital, where I work, will contact you, informing you that money has been willed to you upon verification, which will be the details I will make available to my bank (Barclays Capital), my bank (Barclays Capital) will instruct Coutts Investment Bank to make payments to you.
You do not have to have known him. I know this might be a bit heavy for you but please trust me on this. For all your troubles I propose that we split the money in half. In the banking circle this happens every time. The other option is that the money will revert back to the government coffers.
I would want us to keep communication strictly by email, due to telephone tapping but occasionally we can also speak on phone if the need arises.
Please, note I am a family man; I have a wife and three children. I send you this mail not without a measure of fear as to the consequences, but I know within me that nothing ventured is nothing gained and that success and riches never come easy or on a platter of gold.
This is the one truth I have learnt from my private banking clients. Do not betray my confidence. If we can be of one accord, we should act swiftly on this. Please reply me immediately via my personal email (wood.mark@outlook.com).
I await your response.

Please note: if you are not happy with this communication please delete it and my apologies to you, but if you are interested during the course of our transactions I will give you link that will refer you to more hunts for the heir to his estates.

Yours Sincerely
Mr. Woods

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