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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: Director Wesdtern Union Bank <adolphusjamess@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 13:45:10 +0100
Subject: Dear Friend,

Dear Friend,

I have emailed you earlier without a response. In my first email I
mentioned about my late client whose relatives I cannot get in touch
with. This mail is written and intended to solicit your assistance to
be presented as the HEIR to my Late Client since you have the same
surname with him. I am compelled to do this because I would not want
the bank to push my client’s money 7.3 Million United States Dollars
into the bank treasury as unclaimed inheritance.

I humbly crave your indulgence to read this e-mail with all
seriousness because this project is based on Trust, Confidentiality
and Sincerity of purpose in order to have an Acceptable meeting of the
minds.

Although we never met before, but I have every reason to believe that
you are a highly respected personality, considering the fact that I
got your E- mail address through the Internet while searching for a
reliable and reputable person to handle this transaction.

I have been expecting anybody to show up as His next of kin or
relatives that will come over and claim his money Because they cannot
release such amount of money unless somebody applies for it as Next of
kin or relation to the Deceased as indicated in our banking
guidelines.

Unfortunately I discovered that his supposed next of kin was being his
Only daughter and wife died along with him in the auto crash leaving
nobody with the knowledge of this fund behind for claim.

I am contacting you because of my interest to make sure that the
holding bank does not declare this money as an unclaimed deposit.
Under the unclaimed status, the top bank executives usually divert
such money deposit to their private pockets instead of reverting it to
the supposed reserved bank for the government. To avoid such
unfortunate circumstance, that was why I went searching seriously for
a relation of the deceased through the internet, which has now
produced you?

Thank you very much for your anticipated acceptance while I expect
your prompt response to this matter as the urgency demands. Yours
regards, Reply me through this address (adolphusjamess@gmail.com)


Barrister Adolphus James.

Anti-fraud resources: