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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: =?UTF-8?B?IlNvbGljaXRvciBFZHdhcmQgV2lsbGlhbXMi?= <officeman1@terra.com.co>
Date:
Subject:

    SOLICITOR EDWARD WILLIAMS
    Email: s= olicitoredwardwilliams@gmail.com

    Dear Friend,
=
    I have picked up the trust and courage to write you = this letter with divine
    confidence that you are a rel= iable and honest person who will be capable for
    this = important and confidential transaction which I have for you, believing also=
    that you will never let me down either now or in the= future. I was in Dubai on a
    seminar and I got your i= nformation from a trade consultant here in Dubai, though
  &nb= sp; I did not disclose the purpose of my seeking for a foreign partner to h= im.

    Unfortunately, I had to leave Dubai due to ur= gent appointment back home; this
    was the reason why I= decided to write you this letter immediately I arrived home
  = ;  to my country. My name is Edward Williams Solicitor at Law and the = personal
    Attorney/Sole Executor to the late Mr. Rando= lph Marriott, hereinafter referred
    to as my client; a= n industrialist, who worked as an Oil and Gas Merchant in my
  = ;  country and passed away. There is an account opened in one of the b= anks in the
    United Kingdom by my client in 2010 and n= o family member knows about this
    account or anything = concerning it.

    In 2013, Mr. Randolph Marriott sum= moned me to his office to commence his WILL
    process, = that was when his health condition became worse. He eventually died few
=     months ago, leaving the WILL uncompleted. The family doe= s not know about his
    personal deposit of GBP19.7 Mill= ion (Nineteen Million Seven Hundred Thousand
    Pound St= erling) as it is not listed on the WILL, and all the family focus, is in    his Oil/Gas business and other banks where he made some= deposit.
    I want to present you as his trustee/busine= ss partner who according to him,
    should for further&n= bsp; inherit/investment the sum of  GBP19.7 Million (Nineteen
 = ;   Million Seven Hundred Thousand Pound Sterling) which he secre= tly deposited in
    one of the banks in the United Kingd= om so that both of us can share the fund
    once transfe= rred into your account. I want us to do this before presenting the
 = ;   WILL to his family. You shall be entitled to 40% of the total= sum, while I will
    take 50% while 10% is for expenses=   . All necessary precautions have been taken
    to= ensure 100% risk free situation on the side of both parties.

 =    I will secure the vital documents that will make you the benef= iciary of the fund
    to enable us claim it from the ban= k where the fund is deposited. The WILL is
    with me an= d no member of his family has not seen the WILL yet and the bank where
&= nbsp;   the fund is deposited is not known to them.

 =    The question is, can we work together? If yes is your answer    Kindly get back to me via my Email: solicitoredwardwil= liams@gmail.com

    for further discussion on this if= you are interested with Your full names, your address, your phone number    your occupation, your age, your marital status and you= r drivers license or international passport copy.

   = Awaiting your urgent response.

    Respectfully Your= s,
    Solicitor Edward Williams
    At= torney at law

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