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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: " Barr. Edwards Alexander" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <barredwards@pobox.sk>
Date: Sat, 4 Mar 2017 00:08:38 +0300
Subject: Urgent Assistance Needed

Chief Financial consultant
137 Jan Smuts Avenue,
Parkwood, Johannesburg South Africa
 
 
Hello my friend,
I am a lawyer and a financial consultant with First National Bank (FNB), I write to contact you over a very important business transaction which will be of mutual interests and benefits to our both families.
 
In 2007, one Mrs. Wilfred Nguyen William an Emirates Citizen that Nationalize in U.S.A, whose surname is same as yours and has your country in his file on record with our bank as his place of origin, made a fixed deposit for 36 months, valued at $37,000,000.00 (Thirty Seven Million United States Dollars) with my First National Bank. I was her financial adviser before I rose to the position of Financial Officer. The maturity date for this deposit was on 27th of September 2014. Sadly Mrs. Wilfred Nguyen William was among the death victims recorded on the 11th March 2011 earthquake in Japan, Earthquake that left over 15,891 people dead while he was there on business trip. However since the last quarter of 2010 until today, the management of my bank had put in much effort to reach him to ascertain if he will roll over the Deposit or have the contract sum withdrawn. When I discovered that this will happen, I have tried to think up a procedure to preserve this fund and use the proceeds for business/charitable vent
 
Some directors here have been trying to find out from me the information about her account, but I have kept it undisclosed because I know that if they're aware that Mrs. Wilfred is late, they will quickly divert his funds for their selfish interest just as they did to the rest customers who had similar cases. Therefore I am seeking your co-operation to present you as the beneficiary to this fund as record shows that you bare the same last/family name with the deceased, this will enable the bank headquarter to pay the funds to you. I have carried out almost every necessary banking modalities/arrangements needed to present you as the next of kin to this funds, you are only required to enter your personal details to be registered into the information network of the bank to reflect you as his next of kin.
If you consider this proposal a turning point to our financial freedom, we shall both benefits equally from this transaction in the sharing ratio of 45% to you and 45% for me while the remaining 10% will be giving to the less privilege and the motherless home. Please get back to me urgently on receipt of this message for more details
 
Barr. Edwards Alexander

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