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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: Robinson Lewis Esq <ymaillink011@gmail.com>
Reply-To: rlewisesq@yahoo.com.ph
Date: Sun, 30 Nov 2014 23:19:14 -0800
Subject: Robinson Lewis Esq, Reply me urgently .

Dear Friend,

I will like to seek your help in a business proposal that is very
sensitive in nature. This is not what I should have discussed with
someone I have not met using a medium such as this. I contacted you
due to the urgency of this transaction. I take liberty to forward to
you this proposal which shall be of immense benefit to you

I am Robinson Lewis Esq. personal attorney to late Dr. Alfred, who
died of cardiac arrest a few years ago in a London hospital leaving
behind a large sum of money with a commercial bank on the Island of
Seychelles which is a tax free zone, a place where rich people tend to
hide funds not ready to be used or invested. I will not mention the
amount of money which runs into several millions in United States
Dollars and name of bank presently until we have agreed to this deal.

I trust you will understand the need for such precautions. So far,
valuable efforts have been made to get to his people but to no avail,
as he had no known relatives because he left his next of kin column in
his account opening forms blank and he has no known relative. Due to
this development the bank has come forward to ask my office, as his
personal attorney to bring forward a close relative to claim the funds
otherwise as the Seychelles national laws would have it, any dormant
account for five years will be declared unclaimed and the money will
be paid into government coffers as unclaimed fund.

To avert this negative development my colleagues and I have decided to
look for a reputable person to act as the next of kin, so that the
funds could be processed and released into your account, that is why I
contacted you. My law firm will also act as your personal attorneys
since we will be portraying you as being directly related to our late
client being from the same country. All legal documents to aid your
claim this fund and to prove your relationship with the deceased will
be provided by us.

Your help will be appreciated with the total sum which I would
disclose in my next email.

Please accept my apologies, keep this email confidential and disregard
this letter if you do not appreciate this proposition I have offered
you.

I wait anxiously for your response.

Yours Faithfully,

Robinson Lewis Esq
Solicitor

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