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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: Kenji Hayato
Reply-To: <kenjibkm@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 2015 11:04:04 +0100
Subject: Reply

>From The Desk of Kenji Hayato
Email: kenjibkm@gmail.com

I would respectfully request that you keep the contents of this letter confidential and respect the integrity of the information you come by as a result of this mail. I contact you independently and no one is informed of this communication.
My names are Kenji Hayato with Mizuho Bank Japan; I am getting in touch with you regarding the estate of a deceased client aservernd an investment placed under our banks management. In 2001, Mr.Scot Hammel came to our bank to engage in business discussions with our private banking division. He informed us that he had a financial portfolio of $18.5m (Eighteen Million Five Hundred Thousand United States dollars), which he wished to have us invest on his behalf.

Based on my advice, we spun the money around various opportunities and made attractive margins for our first months of operation, the accrued profit and interest stood at this point at over $19.1M United States Dollars. In mid-2002, he instructed that the principal sum ($18.5M) be liquidated because he needed to make an urgent investment requiring cash payments in Europe.

We got in touch with a specialist security vault firm in Europe who agreed to receive this money for a fee and make cash available to Mr. Scot. However, the security vault firm got in touch with us late last year that this money has not been claimed. On further enquires we found out that Scott was hit in the Earthquake and Tsunami disaster 2011 in Fukushima Japan. He has no next of kin.

The essence of this communication with you is that since I have exclusive access to his file you will be made the beneficiary of these funds. The security vault firm will contact you informing you that fund has been willed to you. On verification which will be the details I made available to the Mizuho Bank Japan, The security Vault firm will be instructed to release the funds to you after all the necessary verification and application is done. You do not have to have known him. I propose that we split the money in half. This is a life time opportunity for us and nobody get hurt. I hold the KEY to these funds and as a Japanese National we see so much cash and funds being revert back to the state daily. I will want us to keep communication for now by email.
I will give you my number as soon as I hear from you and I will call you also for more details.

I send you this email not without measure of fear as to the consequences. I am a family man with wife and children. Do not betray my confidence. Please respond to this email as soon as possible to afford us the opportunity to close this deal. Send email to my private email address: kenjibkm@gmail.com

Thank you for accommodating my mail. I await your response.

Regards,

Kenji Hayato

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