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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: "Howard Renee Woods" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <howarrdwoods@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 5 Aug 2016 04:11:22 +0100
Subject: FROM AGENT HOWARD RENEE WOODS GET BACK TO ME IMMEDIATELY

Dear Consignee,
f  
I am Howard Renee Woods Director Fraud & Money Laundering Department in John F. Kennedy International Airport NY. We are rounding up for the last Quarter of the auditing, all abandon Consignment in US Airports are being transfer to our facilities here for inspection and confiscation. During our investigation, I discovered an abandoned shipment on your name which was transferred to our facility here in John F. Kennedy International Airport and when scanned it revealed an undisclosed sum of money in a Metal Trunk Box.
 
The consignment was abandoned because the Content was not properly declared by the consignee as money, rather it was declared as personal effect to avoid diversion by the Diplomatic Agent also the Diplomat inability to pay for Non Inspection Fees.
 
On my assumption, the boxes will contain more than $6M and the consignment is still left in storage house till today through a Courier Dispatch Service. The Consignment is a metal box with weight of about 242LBS (Internal dimension: W61 x H156 x D73 (cm). Effective capacity: 680 L.) Approximately.
 
The details of the consignment including your name the official document from United Nation office in London are tagged on the Metal Trunk box.
 
I want to use my good office and clear the Consignment and deliver it to you. If you WILL ACCEPT MY CONDITION AND want us to transact the delivery for mutual benefit, you should provide your name, Phone Number and full address, to cross check if it corresponds with the address on the official document including the name of nearest Airport around you and other details. You should send the required details to me for onward delivery.
 
All communication must be held extremely confidential. I can get everything concluded within 24 to 48 hours upon your acceptance and proceed to your address for delivery. But it must be on the condition that you will give me 30% of the amount contained in the boxes and I must get assurance from you concerning my 30% before I will proceed.
 
I want us to transact this business and share the money, since the shipper has abandoned it and ran away. I will pay for the Non inspection fee and arrange for the boxes to be moved out of this Airport to your address, once I am through, I will deploy the services of a secured shipping Company to provide the security it needs to your doorstep. Or I can bring it by myself to avoid any more trouble. But I will share it 70% to you and 30% to me. But you have to assure me of my 30%. Do respond to me if you are interested to conclude this with me.
 
Looking forward to hear from you
 
Best Regards,
 
Howard Renee Woods
 

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