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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: Upright Chamber <jswillslawyer@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 7 Mar 2015 15:37:08 +0100
Subject: =?UTF-8?Q?RE=3A_REQUESTS_FOR_HELP=2E=E2=80=8F?=

Joe S. Williams
Senior/Lead Counsel Upright Chambers
16, Glover Road, Ikoyi, Lagos,
Nigeria.
Email: jswills@live.com
Email: jswillslawyer@gmail.com
Tel/: Tel: +234-08093-932315
Date: 7-3-2015
OUR REF: JW/MAW/P01/6834/01/015-NG

Attn: Sir/Ma,

I would like to solicit for your cooperation in a deal that involves
the transfer of US $5.7 million to your account for investment
projects in your country.

Introduction: My name is Joe S. Williams,a lawyer by profession. I am
the personal attorney to Mr. Eric Clark, a national of your country,
hereinafter shall be referred to as my client.

On the 21st of April 2009, my client, his wife and their only daughter
were involved in a car accident along Badagry Express Road. All
occupants of the vehicle unfortunately lost their lives. Since then I
have made several efforts to find any of his relatives but has been
unsuccessful.

Business Proposal: Before his death, he deposited US $5.7 million in a
Financial Firm (name withheld). After my several unsuccessful efforts,
I decided to contact you because the Financial Firm has issued me a
notice to present his Next of Kin within the next 30 official working
days or have the funds declared unserviceable and returned to the
treasury as unclaimed in accordance with existing law/policy. Since I
have been unsuccessful in finding his relatives for over 4 years now,
I am actually asking for your consent to present you to the Financial
Firm as the Next of Kin/business partner to late Eric Clark as you
share the same similarity in name, so that the funds will be paid to
you and then you and I can share the money.

I already have some legal documents to support you, these documents
will also stand as a proof that you are indeed the next of Kin to late
Eric Clark. All I require from you is your maximum co-operation to
enable us achieve this deal. The intended transaction will be executed
under a legitimate arrangement. This proposition is entirely risk free
and I will use my position as attorney to late Eric Clark to help you
procure all the required legal papers which will give you full legal
protection anywhere in the world.

Note: You may not be anyway related to my late client but I assure you
that all would be put in place in accordance with the Law to legally
present you as the Next of Kin to late Eric Clark and legal
beneficiary of the funds so that the money will be paid to us. I am
considering this arrangement because I don't want the funds to be
returned as unclaimed. I have decided to give 20% of the fund to
charity, while the remaining will be shared equally between us.

If you are interested in this proposal, could you get back to me via
e-mail to enable us discuss in a more vivid manner to the best of
your understanding. Should you have any question, you can call me for
further discussion?

Conclusion: If this business proposition offends your moral ethics, do
accept my sincere apology, and kindly delete same from your system.

Thanks. I await your positive response soon and to aid in
communicating further, kindly send me your direct phone number.

Best regards,

In all friendship I remain,
Joe S. Williams (SAN)
Email: jswills@live.com

N/B: The contents of this email are confidential. They are intended
for the named recipient(s) only. If you have received this in error,
please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer.
And please do not disclose the contents to anyone or make copies
thereof.

Anti-fraud resources: