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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: "Mr. Pete O Smith" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mrpeterosmith@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 2015 09:48:10 +0200
Subject: YOUR TOTAL PARTNERSHIP AND SINCERITY.

 
EXXONMOBIL OIL PRODUCING (UK)
ExxonMobil House
Ermyn Way
Leatherhead
Surrey, KT22 8UX
United Kingdom
 
Attention Prospective Partner,
 
YOUR TOTAL PARTNERSHIP AND SINCERITY.
 
Firstly, I apologize for sending you this sensitive information via e-mail instead of a Certified mail/Post-mail. This is due to the
urgency and importance of the information. This proposal is based on trust, confidentiality and sincerity of purpose in order to have an
acceptable meeting of the minds.
 
I am Mr. Pete O Smith, the General Manager Accounting of Mobil  Producing United Kingdom, I got your contact on my confidential search
on the internet journal, that should stand as my foreign partner on the claim and joint management of this fund that is lying unclaimed in
the Escrow account of a foreign contractor of this organization that died of cardiac arrest in United States of America.
 
This fund valued Eighteen Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars (US$18,500,000.00) came to existence as a contract payment
made by this organization into the account of a foreign contractor for a particular contract executed Five (6) years ago , ever since this
payment was transferred into his account here in my country, every effort made to get hold of his next of kin or relative to put in
claims on this contractor payment has not been fruitful.
 
 
The banking rules here in my country, have it that if a depositor has been confirmed dead and the account has been dormant and for a period
of three (3) years and no one comes up for the claim of such deposit,the bank has the right to declare the fund as unclaimed and be
transferred into the Government treasury, with a 40% commission, ever since I got this news I have been waiting for the appropriate time to
convert this fund for my personal utilization, just last week an official notification letter was sent to this organization by the bank
on the arrangement to declare this fund unclaimed and the recent merger of this company (Mobil) and Exxon Oil, I see it appropriate to
convert this fund for personal utilization between us, but this will not be actualized without your help as a relative of the deceased or
his Associate and as the next of kin to the account.
 
I am contacting you as a foreigner to stand as my trustee and foreign partner to enable me present you before the bank as either the
business associate or the distant relative of this contractor, to facilitate this fund ownership change in your favor and immediate
transfer into your account, pending my visit there in your country for sharing and utilization between us, I also want to reassure you that
every step on this fund transfer is free of any risk and it will be carried out under a legitimate process that will protect you from any
breach of the law.
 
On the completion of this fund into your account, the sharing should be thus:- 50% is for me as the initiator and I will confidently hand over to you
all the essential documents on this very contract that the payment is lying unclaimed in the bank, you will also guide me on the investment
of this my share into real estate there in your country.
 
45% should be for you as my partner, considering the essential role that you will play in this transaction.
 
 
5% should be for ALL expense reimbursement that should be incurred on the legal actualization of this project in your favor.
 
However, before further details of this laudable transaction will be revealed to you. I must be convinced of your integrity, transparency
and honest, so I will require from the following details:-
Your name in full.
Your residential Address in full.
Your Mobile (Cell) telephone number.
Tel/Fax Number
Brief information on your profile, this should include your age,
marital status and nature of Job.
 
 
This is highly business transaction that requires someone with experience, exposure and more than average means of livelihood. Please
treat this transaction as strictly confidential as I am still active with this organization. Forward your response to this email:
mrpeterosmith@gmail.com
 
Sincerely,
 
Mr. Pete O Smith

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