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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: "Mr.Mark Thurlow" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <markthurlowkasbank1@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2017 08:31:35 +0430
Subject: LETTER!!!

Dear Friend,

Please accept my apologies if this request does not meet your personal
ethics as it is not intended to cause you any embarrassment in what ever
form. I got your contact email address from the internet directory and
decided to contact you for this transaction that is based on trust and your
outstanding. I have an interesting business proposal for you that will be of
immense benefit to both of us. Although this may be hard for you to believe,
but we stand to gain (19,500,000.00 GBP between us in a matter of days.
Please grant me the benefit of doubt and hear me out.

My name is Mr.Mark Thurlow. I work with KAS Bank here in London as bank a
Client Manager. I discovered an abandoned sum of (19,500,000.00 GBP (Nineteen
Million Five Hundred Thousand British Pounds) in an account that belongs to
one of our foreign customers Late Dr. Erin Jacobson, an American citizen who
unfortunately lost his life and his entire family in Montana plane crash on
March 23, 2009, on their way to a group ski vacation.The choice of
contacting you is aroused from the geographical nature of where you live,
particularly due to the sensitivity of this transaction and the
confidentiality herein. Now our bank has been waiting for any of the
relatives to come up for the claim but nobody has done that. I personally
tried to locate any member of his family but have been unsuccessful in
locating the relatives for four years now, i have also checked the deposit
documents and discovered that he did not declare any next of kin on the
deposit.

Now the Management of our bank as instructed to look for the next of kin or
they will convert the funds into the Government Treasury Account as
unclaimed funds and the funds will be wasted. Therefore, I cannot claim
these funds without presenting a foreigner to stand as next of kin. This is
why I contacted you to seek your consent to present you as an next of kin so
that the funds will be release to you, then we share it 50% for me and 50%
for you because am not a greedy person and is deal between me and you.

I have employed the service of an Attorney who will secure all necessary
legal documents that could be used to back up this claim. All the attorney
need to do is to fill in your names to the documents and legalize it in the
Court here to prove you as the legitimate next of kin to the late depositor
Dr. Erin Jacobson then the bank will release the funds to you as the
rightful beneficiary.

This is a fair deal without any risk attached either on your part or on my
part as long as we comply with the laws governing the claiming of funds in
our establishment. All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us
sees this deal through, and with my position in the bank as a bank manager,
I will do every thing possible to protect your interest and to make sure
that everything workout successfully.

If you are interested in this deal, kindly send me your complete
information, your full names and address, Your Private telephone and Fax
numbers, and Cell phone so that the attorney will start processing the
necessary paperwork that would facilitate the release of the funds to you.

Best regards,
Mr.Mark Thurlow.

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