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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: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: john.andrus02@yahoo.com.tw
Date: Wed, 01 Oct 2014 13:27:11 +0100
Subject: FROM MR.JOHN ANDRUS

ATTENTION: SIR/MADAM,

MY NAME IS MR.JOHN ANDRUS,I AM WRITING IN RESPECT OF A FOREIGN CUSTOMER
OF MY BANK(WILLIAM BARNES,OF AMERICA) WHO PERISHED IN THE PLANE CRASH OF
31 OCTOBER 1999[WITH EGYPTIAN AIRLINE 990] WITH OTHER PASSENGERS ABOARD.

SIR/MADAM, SINCE THE DEMISE OF WILLIAM BARNES, I PERSONALLY HAVE WATCHED
WITH KEEN INTEREST TO SEE THE NEXT OF KIN BUT ALL HAS PROVED ABORTIVE AS
NO ONE HAS COME TO CLAIM HER FUNDS OF USD45M,[FOURTY FIVE MILLION UNITED
STATES DOLLARS]HAS BEEN WITH OUR BANK HERE FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

ON THIS NOTE I DECIDED TO SEEK FOR WHOM HIS NAME SHALL BE USED AS THE
NEXT OF KIN, AS NO ONE HAS COME UP TO PUT CLAIM AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO
THIS FUNDS AND THE BANKING ETHICS HERE DOES NOT ALLOW SUCH MONEY TO STAY
MORE THAN FIFTEEN YEARS, BECAUSE AFTER FIFTEEN YEARS THE MONEY WILL BE
CALLED BACK TO THE BANK TREASURY AS UNCLAIMED BILL.

IN VIEW OF THIS I GOT YOUR CONTACT THROUGH MY COUNTRY'S FOREIGN TRADE
MISSION AFTER I WAS CONVINCED IN MY MIND THAT YOUR NAME/COMPANY COULD BE
USED AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO THIS CLAIM. THE REQUEST OF THE FOREIGNER AS A
NEXT OF KIN IN THIS BUSINESS IS OCCASIONED BY THE FACT THAT THE CUSTOMER
WAS A FOREIGNER AND A GHANA CANNOT STAND AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO A
FOREIGNER.

I AGREED THAT 30% OF THIS MONEY WILL BE FOR YOU AS A FOREIGN PARTNER IN
RESPECT OF PROVIDING AN ACCOUNT WHILE 10% WILL TAKE OF ANY EXPENSES THAT
MIGHT BE INCURRED IN THE PROCESS OF SUCCEEDING THE TRANSFER AND THE REST
WILL BE FOR ME. THEREAFTER I WILL VISIT YOUR COUNTRY FOR DISBURSEMENT AS
I AM ALMOST DUE FOR RETIREMENT.

UPON THE RECEIPT OF YOUR ACCEPTANCE, I WILL SEND YOU BY FAX OR E-MAIL A
DRAFT APPLICATION OF CLAIM WHICH YOU WILL SEND TO THE BANK AS THE NEXT
OF KIN AND THE NEXT STEP TO TAKE.

I WILL NOT FAIL TO BRING TO YOUR NOTICE THAT THIS BUSINESS IS HITCH FREE
AND THAT YOU SHOULD NOT ENTERTAIN ANY FEAR AS THE WHOLE REQUIRED
ARRANGEMENT HAS BEEN PERFECTED FOR THE TRANSFER.
HOPING TO HEAR FROM YOU.

REGARDS,
MR.JOHN ANDRUS
IF INTERESTED PLEASE REPLY TO MY PRIVATE EMAIL ADDRESS:
john.andrus01@yahoo.com.tw

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