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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 Wu" <wu.david2017@yandex.com>
Reply-To: wu.david2016@yandex.com
Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2016 20:12:38 -0500
Subject: my subject

FROM THE DESK OF: DAVID WU.
EMAIL; wu.david2016@yandex.com


I am David Wu, Deputy Manager for the China Trust Commercial Bank, China. I am getting in touch with you regarding the estate of a deceased client, and an investment placed under our banks management 7 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. In 2009, the subject matter; Alfred Abbott came to our bank to engage in business discussions with our private banking division. He informed us that he had a financial portfolio of Eighteen Million, Three Hundred and Fifty 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 over Two Million. In mid 2012, he instructed that the principal sum Eighteen Million, Three Hundred and Fifty Thousand United States Dollars, be liquidated because he needed to make an urgent investment requiring cash payments in Hong Kong.

We got in touch with the Kincheng Banking Corporation which is a specialist bank in China, and has now been merged with the Bank of China, with a foreign representative branch in Hong Kong who agreed to receive this money for a fee and make cash available to Alfred.

However, Bank of China got in touch with us last year that this money has not been claimed. On further enquiries we found out that Alfred was involved in an accident in Mainland China, which means he died Interstate. On further investigation we found out that Late Alfred left behind no next of kin and this is the reason I am writing you.

What I propose is that since I have exclusive access to his file, and I can make you 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 Bank of China 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 your assistance I propose to give you 30% of the total amount in question. 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 email, as time goes on I shall furnish you with my telephone number, so you can also reach me by phone. My spoken English is not too good, but you should be able to understand me.

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, because 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 if you accept my proposal respond back to me immediately via the above email.

I await your positive response.
David Wu


===========================================


Good day,


I must say that I have enormous respect for you considering the manner in which I have made contact with you. We never know when life is about to shower us with good fortune, however we spend so much time wishing that life does. The uniqueness of this transaction has made it possible for us to come together and share some decent money. Let’s move forward and let’s see what we can achieve.

In everything one does with another there must be a meeting of minds. Without us both seeing and assessing the situation through the same lenses, there cannot and will never be success or progress. So as we say in Chinese, thoroughness is what is needed here. I need for you to obey my every instruction and do exactly as I say. You must let me direct this project for us to have success. This is non negotiable. It is when there is no leadership and no meeting of minds that there are problems.

Everything is going to be done in sequence. I will imagine that the whole process should take about 2 weeks before the money will be transferred to your account. At this stage I have exclusive access to the files of late Alfred Abbott. I will be instructing a solicitor in China to prepare all the documents in your name. This will then be put in my file and presented to my bank. It will then be assessed and approved and then authorization given to the Bank of China to make payment to you. Please this is very important and your total commitment is what is desired. I will be speaking to you only and when necessary as this is a precaution. Most communication will be done via email. As we go along, I shall furnish you with a telephone number you can reach me on.

At this stage I am sure you have many questions you want to ask me, I understand as this is only normal. We are going to take this matter on a step-by-step basis. However something that I must point out to you at this stage is that there is no wrong on your part. At the end of the day it is the Bank of China that will be contacting you to inform you that money has been left behind for you. You are not contacting the bank or any body so you are doing absolutely nothing wrong or taking any risk. The only person who could have disputed this is long gone. You must understand why there must be SERIOUS CONFIDENTIALITY about this whole process. Bank of China is a specialist bank, which deals with high net worth individuals and giant corporations. I have my contact there to make sure that nothing goes wrong. As soon as China Trust Commercial Bank has gone through all formalities with you, they will instruct Bank of China to make payments to you.

Please send me the following, as I need this information for my file and also for starting the process. As soon as I have made the necessary amendments you become the legal beneficiary and the Bank of China will be getting in touch with you.

FULL NAMES.......................................
ADDRESS..............................................
Company name (if any)...............................
TEL.......................................................
FAX.......................................................

My friend please let us be positive and show discretion as we both make one of the most fruitful steps of our lives. My spoken English is not too good, however I believe you will understand me when we speak. I will be putting great trust in you and you as well in me, and as long as we work closely together success is definitely ours. If the funds cannot be transferred to your account at once, an arrangement can be made to transfer the funds in small batches. This may take a little longer, but it will be safer for us because of money laundering laws. The transfers will be backed up by the necessary documentation.


I await your response; with the needed information to enable us proceed.

Regards,


=====================================


Dear,

This is to acknowledge receipt of the requested information. I have already started the necessary process towards the release and subsequent transfer of the funds to you. I have spoken with a solicitor who has agreed to assist with filing the necessary documentation.

I am at the moment preparing the documents that will be needed. Some documents are in my possession, copies of which I shall provide to the solicitor, which will assist him in preparing the documents that will be needed to be filed.
I shall keep you updated on a regular basis.

Regards,


===================================


Dear Partner,
How are you today? I have been busy with the solicitor trying to ensure that everything is done in accordance with the laws and regulations of our country.

I have explained the situation to him, though I cannot completely reveal the true nature of this transaction to him. He has started work and the required documents should be ready before the week runs out.

The Documents being prepared, will be in your name and will also be back dated, stating that the late Alfred Abbott left instructions that in the event of his death, his liquid estate should go to you, his close friend and distant relation, with this you then become the legal beneficiary to his estate and nobody can dispute that.

He has assured me that the documents will be ready in another day or 2 at the latest. I will be meeting with him tomorrow to also finalise his legal fees and cost of the documents. I will send the documents to you as soon as I have them and update you further on any other information. Do not worry, I will take care of all costs needed for securing these documents.

Thank you for your firm support and co-operation so far, and assure you that by next week, we shall have cause to celebrate, as I expect we should be ready to transfer funds to your account.

Regards,
David

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