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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: "Samuel Moore" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <samuelmoore226@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 2015 01:27:33 -0700
Subject: Urgent Message From Samuel Moore

Dear friend,
 
I make this contact to you after careful thought that you might be capable of handling this transaction and give fair consideration bearing in mind that this email contact to you is not in error.
 
One Mr. Badri Patarkatsishvili a Georgian businessman brought chunk of 100% pure Gold in (24 karats diamond quality) to my office for an official evaluation in cash value and for deposit.
 
After inspection and assessment with Mr. Badri Patarkatsishvili and the exchange value was confirmed as GBP £22,500,000 (Twenty two million five hundred thousand British Pound Sterling) I advised him to come back within 3 banking days to enable me perfect all internal documentations for exchange value which is the banking protocol for his request.
 
In the interim, I issued him certificate of deposit in the assessed equivalent value of the Gold thus GBP GBP £22,500,000 (Twenty two million five hundred thousand British Pound Sterling) that empowers him to lay claims to the deposit anytime and retained a copy for our bank reference before he left my office.  After three days I did not see him I felt perhaps he may have been engaged in other business activities that did not give him enough time to keep to the date.
 
After some good months I became worried about the whereabouts of Mr. Badri Patarkatsishvili, because he was did not complete all documentations especially the Next of Kin column as required by the bank. I had to inform the management of the bank for necessary advice. It was then one of the management teams disclosed that he heard that Mr. Badri Patarkatsishvili died since 12 February 2008.The problem is that he did not complete where I can contact his next of kin and the bank thinks that all documentations were duly completed.
 
Honestly, I am not comfortable with the bank’s decision hence I decided to work towards cornering the deposit and my reason for contacting you so that we can work this out together for our mutual benefit.
 
Once you indicate your willingness to work this out with me for our mutual benefit, I will make give you further details.
 
Best regards,
 
Mr. Samuel Moore
Director of Debt/Asset management,
Investec Private Bank Ltd London U.K

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