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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: "David Cheng" <socks@earthlink.net>
Reply-To: davidcheng948@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 2016 13:59:33 -0300
Subject: Re:Urgent Receipt

Dear respected friend,

I am David Cheng, Principal Assurance manager for the Agricultural
Bank of China.I am getting in touch with you regarding the estate of
Abbot Luna and an investment placed under our banks management some
years ago.

I would respectfully request that you keep the contents of this mail
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.

Some years ago,the subject matter; Abbot came to our bank to engage in
business discussions with our private banking division. He informed us
that he had a financial portfolio of 9.25 million 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 10 million United
States Dollars. In mid 2002, he instructed that the principal
sum(9.25M) be liquidated because he needed to make an urgent
investment requiring cash payments in Hong Kong and China. We got in
touch with a specialist bank in China, the Shenzhen Development Bank
(SDB) who agreed to receive this money for a fee and make cash
available to Abbot.

However Shenzhen Development Bank got in touch with us last year that
this money has not been claimed. On further inquiries we found out
that Abbot was involved in an accident in Mainland China, which means
he died intestate. He has no next of kin.

What I propose is that since I have exclusive access to his file, you
will be made the beneficiary of these funds. My bank will contact you
informing you that money has been willed to you. On verification,
which will be the details I make available to my bank, my bank will
instruct SDB to make payments to you. You do not have to have known
him. I know this might be a bit heavy for you but please trust me on
this.

For all your troubles I propose that we split the money in half. In
the banking circle this happens every time. The other option is that
the money will revert back to the state. Nobody is getting hurt; this
is a lifetime opportunity for us. I hold the KEY to these funds, and
as a Chinese National we see so much cash and funds being re-assigned
daily. I would want us to keep communication for now strictly by the
above email. Please, again, note I am a family man; I have a wife and
children.

I send you this mail not without a measure of fear as to the
consequences, but I know within me that nothing ventured is nothing
gained and that success and riches never come easy or on a platter of
gold. This is the one truth I have learned from my private banking
clients. Do not betray my confidence. If we can be of one accord, we
should act swiftly on this. Please pardon my writing mistakes. Please
get back to me immediately email.

I await your response.
David Cheng.

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