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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: Thebo Wilson <mrthebowilson1@gmail.com>
Reply-To: <mrthebowilson@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2015 19:18:15 +0200
Subject: From Mr. Thebo Wilson..Please read carefully and respond now

Sir/Ma.
I know we do not know each other but please I need your urgent assistance regarding the below email. The message was sent to my client who unfortunately died last year. From all indications and from what the letter says, these people now want to divert my client’s funds to another account in Canada who is their partner and I will not let that happen. I suffered with my client over this inheritance of his younger brother who died in South Africa leaving this huge amount in the bank. Now the money has finally been approved to my client who is dead at 84 years.
 
I have details to transfer this to your name as the Next of Kin to my client since you are not from South Africa and the funds will be paid out to you for us to share 60% for me and 40% for you instead of letting these criminals have this money. I have the details of my client to change everything to your name and the bank will transfer the funds to your account within the next 48 hours as they said here.
 
Below is their email sent to my client which copy was sent to me as his lawyer here in South Africa. Please get back to me immediately if you can be trusted to receive this money for me pending when I will arrive. My client and wife died with no children.
 
Regards,
Barrister Thebo Wilson
Lawyers House Chambers,
Pretoria – South Africa
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
 
Mr. Abel Ubeku
Fund Transfer and Inheritance Department
Liaison Office, Pretoria South Africa
 
Attn: Douglas Pettman.
Barnet, Herts.  EN4 9JX. United Kingdom.
This is to officially notify you that your delayed Inheritance payment has finally been approved to be paid to you within the next 48 hours. This instruction came to our office to contact you immediately for the transfer of your approved amount to your designated bank account without any further delay. This office oversees and approves all foreign payments coming out of Africa to Europe, Asia Far East and USA. Our job is to make sure that beneficiary's funds are remitted to them within 48 hours once they have completed the requirements via our approved banks.
Just few hours ago, a man by name Mr. Tim Mallett contacted our office informing us that you have given him instruction and authority to receive the approved US$17,900,000.00 (Seventeen Million Nine Hundred Thousand US Dollars) only on your behalf. According to him, he said that you asked him to represent you in receiving this amount also he forwarded an account where your funds should be transferred to immediately.
Here is the information he forwarded to us for your own confirmation:
Tim Mallett
TD Canada Trust
255 King Street at 3rd Chatham, Ontario Canada N7M 1E6
Account# 0011-6243094
Transit & Branch # 060-00112-004
We want you to confirm to us immediately if you at any time instructed the above person to receive this amount on your behalf and if no, you are requested to immediately get back to me with your full name, contact address and current telephone numbers. I shall immediately begin the process of re-approving this $17,900,000.00 into your name as the beneficiary and final recipient to enable the paying bank contact you for onward transfer to your nominated account.
 
Note that most people are not aware that they have payments approved to their name because they have not been notified and we the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have confirmed the legality of this fund transfer hence we urge you to act on this now to get your funds transferred to your account. This serves as a notification to you that a payment of $17,900,000.00 is approved in your favor and will be credited to you as soon as you work with us.
 
Upon receipt of your confirmation, we shall immediately process your payment documents and forward it to our approved paying Bank to carry out your transfer within the next 48 hours after processing. If you sent this man, do reconfirm also to enable us proceed with the payment into the above stated account without any further delay. We will appreciate your urgent response and confirmation as this office has been given until two weeks to carry out all approved payments or return them as unclaimed funds. Note that the earlier you respond to this message, the better as all modalities have been put in place for immediate payment of the above sum.
Thanking you for letting us serve you better.
Yours faithfully,
 
Mr. Abel Ubeku
Fund Transfer and Inheritance Department
Liaison Office, Pretoria South Africa
 
 

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