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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: Kenneth Robertson <mrkennethrobertson1@gmail.com>
Reply-To: <mrkennethone@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 11 Dec 2017 23:58:13 -0800
Subject: PLEASE READ CAREFULLY AND KNOW SECRET WHY YOU HAVE NOT YET BEEN PAID. REPLY NOW

Mr. Kenneth Robertson
IMF Liaison Office
Pretoria 0001-South Africa
 
Beneficiary,
 
First I must apologize for contacting you if my help is not needed. My problem is that I hate to see people being cheated for no reason. I am a junior staff at the IMF liaison office here in Pretoria - South Africa and while going through some approved payment files in my office, I discovered that some foreigners are being used and dumped by some of our Senior Directors, Banks Executives and the Government officials. I found out that a payment attached to this email address has long been approved to be released to you but the greed which exists in the lives of the senior workers will never allow them to let you have your payment.
 
I will not be surprised if you do not know about this payment but the truth is that this payment is attached to this email address and definitely belongs to you (Email owner). I am writing you because I am willing to work with you to gather all the legal documents in your name for immediate transfer of the funds to your account within the next 48 hours. Be informed that most people who have money approved to them here are not even aware of the funds.
 
Some people got letters in the past asking for assistance to move funds out of Africa but along the line they did not complete the transaction with the one who contacted them. Unknown them, the African partner stated the name of the foreigner with the email during application and payment was approved to the foreigners name but they were not notified.
 
All we need is to get approvals in your name to legally approve you as the owner of the funds since this email address belongs to you. Once the approval documents are obtained in your name with instruction to the bank asking them to immediately pay you, the bank will contact you for immediate payment of the funds to you.
 
The reason I decided to secretly contact you is that few days ago, a woman by name Mrs. Nancy Tice contacted our office informing us that you have given her instruction and authority to receive the approved US$6,900,000.00 (Six Million Nine Hundred Thousand US Dollars) only on your behalf. According to her, she said that you asked her to represent you in receiving this amount. She also forwarded an account where your funds should be transferred to her immediately.
 
Here is the information he forwarded to us for your own confirmation:
 
American Express Bank
SaltLake City Utah, 84130
AC/Nr: 320003156310
Routing Nr: 124085066
AC Name: Nancy K. Tice
 
I want you to confirm to me immediately if you at any time instructed the above person to receive this amount on your behalf and if not, you are requested to immediately get back to me reconfirming your own details requested below:
 
Full name…………………………Complete address…………………………………..
Office/Home Tel: …………….Mobile……………… Occupation…………………………Age……………………………….
 
 
Upon receipt of your confirmation, I shall immediately assist you to process all the legal documents from here to enable the Bank make immediate payment of your funds within the next 48 hours after processing. If you sent this woman, do reconfirm also to me and I will help her to process the legal documents in her name. For me, I feel she was sent by one of the Directors who do not want you to get your money. They want to use her account to divert what belongs to you. If you have ever been contacted by someone from Africa in the past for the movement of funds into your account, please know that that money was later approved to you without your knowledge.
 
I will appreciate your urgent response and confirmation as our office has been given until five (5) working days to carry out all approved payments or return them as unclaimed funds. Note that the earlier you respond to this message, the better as all modalities have been put in place for immediate payment of the above sum to you.
Note also that this payment is 100% legal and risk free as I will legally obtain all the documents to put you in place as the legally approved beneficiary.
 
I await your urgent response now.
 
Regards,
Mr. Kenneth Robertson
 

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