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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: Maxwell Thomas <maxatlaw@yahoo.pt>
Reply-To: Maxwell Thomas <maxatlaw@aol.com>
Date: Mon, 24 Nov 2014 02:26:05 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: BEQUEST


 MANAGING PARTNER
Max & SOLICITORS
23 SHEFIELD GATE
SOUTH YORKSHIRE
UNITED KINGDOM 

Attention , 

On behalf of the Trustees and Executor of the estate of Late Engr. Reinhard Hermann, I once again  
try to notify you as my earlier letter to you returned undelivered. I hereby attempt to reach you  
again by this same email address on the WILL. I wish to notify you that Late Engr. Reinhard made  
you a Beneficiary to his WILL.  He left the sum of Ten Million, Five Hundred Thousand United  
States Dollars ($10,500.000.00 USD) only to you in the codicil and last testament to his WILL.  
This may sound strange and unbelievable to you, but it is real and true. Being a widely traveled  
man, he must have been in contact with you in the past or simply you were recommended to him by  
one of his numerous Friends abroad who wished you good. 
Engr. Reinhard until his death was a member of the Helicopter Society and the Institute of  
Electrical & Electronic Engineers. He had a very good heart and was a philanthropist.  His great  
philanthropy earned him numerous awards during his life time. I.e. UNO, WHO, & UNESCO. Late Engr.  
Reinhard died on the 13th December 2008 at the age of 80 years, and his WILL is now ready for  
execution. According to him, this money is to support your humanitarian activities and to help the  
poor and the needy in your society. 
Please if I reach you this time as I am hoping, Endeavor to get back to me as soon as possible to  
enable us conclude this transaction. I hope to hear from you in no distant time through the email  
address below. 

Sincerely yours,
Maxwell Thomas
+447509758410
maxatlaw@aol.com


==========================================================================
Notice: This e-mail message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain  
confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution  
is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail  
and destroy all copies of the original message.

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