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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: "LES MATHESON" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <les.matheson@outlook.com>
Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2016 00:53:42 +0200
Subject: From Mr. Les Matheson

From Mr. Les Matheson,
Cellphone: +447042060526
E-mail: les.matheson@outlook.com 
 
I plead your kind urgent consideration to my aim of e-mailing you today with utmost confidentiality regarding this transaction as detailed below, I am Les Matheson, the Chief Executive of Personal and Business Banking at RBS and NatWest. As a top executive of the Bank, I discovered a numbered account with a credit balance GBP 16,900,000 .00 (Sixteen Million, Nine Hundred Thousand British Pounds Sterling) which belongs to one of our deceased customer (PHILLIP HALLMARK) an American that died with his entire family during Ruth Tornado in April, 2011.
 
Due to my position at the bank, I have all the necessary details to claim these funds without any hitch, but I require your assistance as a foreigner to assume the beneficiary, since my position as a civil servant and the bank official does not permit me or my relatives to make this claim. Therefore, I need you to stand as the “Foreign Beneficiary", and I assure you of a perfect legal transfer strategy in your name to avoid any suspicions. 
 
You will be entitled to 40% of the entire sum for your assistance to actualize this great noble deal. Upon your consideration of my offer, I request (Your full name, contact address and your direct telephone/fax number) to enable me re-profile the fund in your name as the beneficiary, for bank approvals and fund transfers to your nominated bank accounts. Also considering the level of discretion required for success of this project, i request your reply to my private email: les.matheson@outlook.com and you can call me on phone number for clearer expalantion. 
 
Thanking you in anticipation of your immediate reply.
 
Kind regards,
Mr. Les Matheson,
Chief Executive; Personal/Business Banking
RBS and NatWest London

Anti-fraud resources: