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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: Williams Aliwo <i.mcara-mcwilliam@gsa.ac.uk>
Reply-To: "williamaliwoesq@yahoo.com" <williamaliwoesq@yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, 5 Mar 2016 21:50:33 -0000
Subject: Your cooperation needed for a transaction.

Williams Aliwo Chambers
233 Adeola Odeku Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Hello Dear,

I humbly crave your indulgence in sending you this email, and if the content does not meet with your
personal and business ethics, I wish to apologize in advance. I got your email contact via my search
on the internet. My name is Barrister Williams Aliwo, Esq. I am the personal attorney to a late national
of your country who was into gold business here in West Africa. On the 30th July, 2011 my client was
involved in a car accident along Lagos-Abuja road here in Nigeria and unfortunately lost his life in the
event of the crash. Since then I have made several inquiry to locate any of his direct relatives but to
no avail.

Prior to the accident that claimed his life, my client had fund deposit of US$4.5Million (Four Million Five
Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) with a bank here, which has remained unclaimed till date.
Basically, the reason I have contacted you is because the bank where the decease had the account has
now issued me a notice to provide his next of kin within the next one month or they will have no option than
to declare the account dormant and confiscate the funds. Therefore, since I have not been successful
with locating or rather tracing any of his direct relative till date, I wish to seek your consent to present
your name as the next of kin of the deceased since you answer same surname and from the same country,
so that the funds will be transferred to you as the beneficiary and then you and I will share the funds than
allowing the bank to confiscate the huge amount. Fortunately, whether you are a direct relative of him or
not is never a barrier to the success of the claim procedure.

Upon your acceptance and return mail, the process of claim is very simple and not complicated nor risky
to your involvement. We shall acquire legal documents that will be used to backup this funds claim in your
name as the next of kin/beneficiary of the funds. Hence, it will be necessary that you give me your honest
co-operation and assistance to enable us see this transaction through. I guarantee you that this transaction
will be executed under a legitimate arrangement in accordance with the inheritance claim act here, but more
importantly, be rest assured that you are not breaking any law or under any risk whatsoever. Therefore,
kindly get back to me and provide me via this email: williamsaliwo@gmail.com with your information for the
documentation process: YOUR FULL NAMES, YOUR ADDRESS, YOUR PERSONAL PHONE NUMBER,
YOUR AGE AND OCCUPATION. NOTE: After a successful claim and transfer of the funds to the bank
account which you will provide, you and I will share the funds at the rate of 50% for me and 50% for you as
settlement for your assistance and cooperation.

Best Regards,
Williams Aliwo, Esq.

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