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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.Ivan Alfred." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <alfredivan0440@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 31 Oct 2015 11:52:50 -0700
Subject: URGENT AND CONFIDENCIAL

Attn Sir/Madam
 
Sorry to have contacted you through this medium without a previous notice; I had to use the email because it is the easiest and more confidential way of making contact with people around the world. My Name is Mr. Ivan Hoogkinson Alfred, A banker with Barclay's Bank of England the chief account officer to (HRH) Prince Fayad B.S. Bolkiah, the son of Prince Jefri Bolkiah, former Finance Minister of Brunei , the tiny oil-rich sultanate on the Gulf Island I will save your time by not amplifying the prince extended royal family history, which has already been disseminated by the international media during the controversial dispute that erupted between his father and his step brothers, the sultan of Brunei Sheik Muda Hassanal Bolkiah.
 
I got your reliable contact from your country’s Chamber of Commerce Directory in and further explicit investment information about your country. As you may know from the international media, the sultan had accused his highness of financial mismanagement and impropriety of US$14.8 Billion dollars. This was as a result of the Asian financial crisis that made his father's company Amedeo Development Company and government owned Brunei Investment Company to be declared bankrupt during his tenure in office.
 
However his father was kept under house arrest, his bank accounts and private Properties including a crude oil export refinery were later confiscated by the sultanate. Furthermore during this unfortunate period, the prince was advised to evacuate his immediate family outside the sultanate to avoid further prosecution from the sultan and his security operatives, but before he could do that he was placed under house arrest by the Sultan and have no access to a phone but he have a Palm hand-held computer from which he communicate me and sending emails. Some of the guard there are still loyal to him, so that they can be his contact with you if there is any document he Amy need to send to you.
 
Before his incarceration, he went ahead to moved the sum of Thirty Million United States Dollars (US$30,000,000.00) in cash under special arrangement into the custody of our private Security and Trustee company here in London for safe keeping. Just like an unspecified amount of money Former President Saddam Hussein took out of Iraq in cash.
 
Hence I seek your good assistance to invest the fund into profitable investment in your country to facilitate future survival for my family abroad. I have decided to offer 35% of the fund to you as compensation for your strong cooperation while 5% have been mapped out for both local and international expenses that may be incurred during this transaction while you will keep the balance of the 60% for me and my family.
 
Please I count on your absolute Confidentiality, Transparency and Trust while looking forward to your prompt reply towards a swift conclusion of this business transaction.
 
You may contact me through my private email( ) so that I will let you know the next thing to do. May Allah's blessing remains with you.
 
I remain yours sincerely.
 
Mr.Ivan Alfred.
 
You can visit the websites below for a better understanding of the situation.
 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/670959.stm

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