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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: "Mr Williams Grant" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mrwilliamsgrant221@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 23 Apr 2015 07:51:10 -0300
Subject: Please get back to me

Good Day
Compliment of the day to you. Based on the several email I sent to you, when trying to reach you over months now and the reason why am to reach you is that a certain amount of money US$ 10.8 Million Dollars left for you as a will by the Engineer TAKAHIRO  which am to explained.
The late TAKAHIRO ,an engineer who lived who worked here before he died and made a certain deposit of US$10.8 Million with a Finance Firm here. After depositing the Funds with a Finance Firm here  ,he called on me as his personal adviser and Lawyer and he told me in confidence that he will like to will the fund to somebody, that I did not know in person or even the person might not remember him either.
I then asked him why, he told me that your family helped him some time ago. I had no option than to agree to that. So he then proceeded to the court where it was legally signed. The Finance Firm has the deposit Certificate for their record keeping and copy is with the court and TAKAHIRO. It was after his death that I went to the Finance Firm to file an application all together with his death certificate.
I then asked them what to be done for them to release the said fund, the director told me that they will only release the fund to you be the inheritor whose name appears on their System.  Since the court has a copy of it, the Finance Firm has their own copy; there is no where it can be impersonated. It is you the inheritor of the fund will have access to receive the said fund.
The only thing that am assure is that you are the right person assign by Engineer  TAKAHIRO, Based on this, I will want you to send to me your full name and your contact address phone number. Once I have this information, I will further on the process.  With this the Finance Institution will able to release the money to you as the inheritor,
If truly you are interested in person, it will be very clear and that will be to your own advantage and benefit. The fund was not willed to me, I am just trying my best to see that you in person who is the inheritor receives the fund else the Firm or the government will take the fund after a certain period of time.  So you should immediately get back to me as soon as you can as I will be waiting to hear from you.
 
Sincerely Yours,
Mr Williams Grant
Email messagebox209@mail.com

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